Blessed Are the Meek 030521

[Music] Church and fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God greatly desires a godly home for you. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Song in Yoruba/English] Father in heaven, we are grateful to you for showing us the way of salvation. We thank you that you searched us out, you found us, and Lord, you saved us. We thank you so much for the gift of eternal life. Lord, even if we gain nothing in this world, if that is all you have done for us, we will eternally be grateful. We thank you, we bless your holy name, Lord, that in spite of us, who we are, you still saved us. Thank you so much for the price you paid. Accept our thanks in Jesus' name. Thank you for all the ways you have been teaching us and enlightening us, particularly thank you for how you taught us last week. Father, we are grateful. Accept our thanks in Jesus' name. Lord, we are at your feet again this evening. We are asking the Lord, please teach us your word in Jesus' name. Holy Spirit, illuminate our hearts by the power of your word, and let there be transformation by the reason of the entrance of your word into our hearts in Jesus' name. Thank you, Lord, for hearing us pray. In Jesus' name we have prayed. Amen. We have been looking at what the Bible calls the Beatitudes. Two weeks ago, we were looking at the poor in spirit. Last week, we were looking at those who mourn. I count us privileged to be going through this lesson at this time. The reason is because when it first originated from Jesus himself, he needed to take his disciples far away from distraction. The Bible says he took them to the mountain and he taught them. It was so much of a serious thing in his heart that he had to take them away from the distractions around them so that he can better teach them. It is the same lesson we are learning these past few weeks. Today, we are going to be looking at "Blessed are the meek." Like I said before, last week we looked at "Blessed are those who mourn." One thing I took home is that the one that saved us, the one that loved us, when we realize that we have sinned against him and we have gone away from him through sin and iniquity, the moment we turn back to him in repentance, he is so merciful that he turns to us and comforts us. That really encouraged my heart, that I'm not dealing with a taskmaster that will not listen to me, that does not understand my weakness. I'm sure everyone of us too were blessed by that lesson. Today, we are looking at "Blessed are the meek." In this passage that is taken from Matthew 5:5, I'm going to read it: "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth." So short and simple, but very loaded with blessings. In that simple passage, there are three focal points. The first one is "blessed." He says blessed are the people. Who are these people? The meek. That's the second focal point. Blessed are the meek. And the last one is they will inherit the earth. We are going to be looking at them one after the other to understand them and to know how we can work with this scripture and in the scripture to get the blessing that God has highlighted for us. I pray as we go on, the Lord will grant us understanding in Jesus' name. So, what does it mean to be blessed? As I look at it in the dictionary, it says having divine aid or protection or other blessings. To be blessed means to have divine aid. In fact, for me, that's enough. For a man to have divine aid, it's not a little thing. That means that man is helped all his life. That means his struggle is gone. That means each time he wanted to lift a finger, divine help is available to him. No wonder the Bible says that God is our ever-present help, even in trouble. To be blessed is to have divine aid, to have divine protection, and to have every other blessing. The blessing of the land, the blessings of the heavens, the blessings everywhere. That's what it means to be blessed. And the second definition says, "made happy or prosperous in worldly affairs; enjoy spiritual happiness and the favor of God." To enjoy spiritual happiness. That's literal dictionary. But if you will look at the heart of God, he will tell you it's not just happiness, because happiness is conditional. But what the dictionary should have said is to be joyful, because joyfulness or joy does not have condition. It doesn't matter what condition the individual is in, the joy of the Lord is always there. So, to be made happy, to be made joyful, prosperous in worldly affairs, to enjoy spiritual happiness and the favor of God. And another one says, "enjoy heavenly felicity." Wow. To enjoy heavenly felicity. That the whole of heaven chooses to felicitate with a man. That's not a little matter. Praise the Lord. So, that's what it means to be blessed. I want us to look at what the Bible says, especially in the Amplified version of the Bible. Let's look at what it says. What does the Amplified say about being blessed? We are still looking at the matter of being blessed. Matthew 5:5. [Speaker 2] Amplified: "Blessed, happy, blithesome, joyous, spiritually prosperous with life, joy, and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions." [Speaker 1] Can you imagine that? This another one I have here is Amplified too. It says "Blessed," that is being worldly peaceful, spiritually secure, worthy of respect. That's what this one says. To be blessed means to have inward peace. I tell you, nothing can be compared to inward peace. Too many people, so many nations are looking for peace today. But do you know as a believer, we have the privilege of having the peace of God resident in our heart? Nothing will take away that peace from us in Jesus' name. To be spiritually secure. To know that no matter what happens, I'm alright, I'm protected, I'm secure. That's what it means to be blessed. To be worthy of respect. That God chooses to place honor on a man. That's what it means to be blessed. That's about being blessed. The second thing we want to look at is to be meek. What does it mean to be meek? Another word, a synonym of the word meek, is humble. To be humble. Uncle Gbeleyi in his book, *Kingdom Lifestyle*, says meekness means humbleness, gentleness, lowly in mind. A meek person is humble, gentle, lowly in mind, not high-minded. Praise the Lord. He's not self-willed. Not defending self, but trusting God to fight for oneself. No self-assertion. Non-resistance or retaliation, even when he is cheated. A meek person will not retaliate. No agitation, no fear of losing out even though going through oppression, criticism, or blackmail. Praise the Lord. Those words, they are not mere words. They are not easy words also. To be meek is not this worldly character. Because if you look at all those words they were used—to be gentle, to be lowly of mind, easily entreated—the people of the world will tell you, you stand for yourself. If you don't stand for yourself, nobody will stand for you. If you don't proclaim yourself, nobody will proclaim you. That's the way of the world. But that's contrary to what Jesus is teaching us. That if we need to be meek, we must not claim nothing, we must not own anything in this world. Does it mean we will not work to have some things? No, that's not what the Bible is saying. But that a meek man is so downtrodden that he doesn't see anything of importance in this world. He's heavenly-minded. May the Lord give us grace to keep following him in Jesus' name, to learn this his way, and learn it thoroughly. Let's look at Luke chapter 6 verse 29. The book of Luke chapter 6 verse 29. [Speaker 2] "And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also." [Speaker 1] Praise the Lord. Do you see that? Somebody slap you on one face, you say turn the other. And he want to take that which belong to you, you say leave him. Even if he wants you to follow him in a mile, go two miles. That's the way of the Lord. That's the way of meekness. And when I was looking at it, I was checking myself. I was saying I still have a long way to go. Praise the Lord. And I know we all have long ways to go, and the Lord will take us there in Jesus' name. To be meek is when you are struck in one cheek, you turn the other. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic from him. Go extra mile for men. And another scripture that goes in that line is also Matthew 11:29 to 30. Matthew 11:29 to 30. [Speaker 2] "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." [Speaker 1] Praise the Lord. These are the exact words of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was telling the disciples, "Take my yoke upon you." And then he says something about himself, "I am gentle and lowly." And if we actually look critically to the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, he was a gentle savior. I could imagine those times when they arrested him for doing nothing and they were slapping him and they were making mockery of him and they were making jest of him and they were doing all sorts of things to him. And yet he had the power to retaliate. He had the power to just speak a word and all of them will be destroyed. And not even only that, he had the power to escape from their grasp. But yet he submitted himself. So a meek person is a man that submits himself to the will of God, whatever fashion or way it comes. A meek person is a man that chooses, it's a choice. He made that choice to submit himself to the will of God, no matter what path that took him. Even in the path of seemingly shame or ridicule, seemingly mockery. A man of meekness will submit to God and say, "Unto you I surrender." And he will go with God, just like we saw our Lord Jesus Christ doing here. It wasn't convenient for him. It wasn't comfortable for him to have done. But he chose it, it was his choice. It was not commanded on him, it was his choice. It was a choice you and I have to make in life to follow the way of the Lord, no matter what it takes. And to follow the way of the Lord, I must remind us, it takes meekness, because the way of God is not like the way of man. The Lord will grant us grace to follow his way in Jesus' name. If we also look at Philippians 2:2 to 3, the Bible is talking about Jesus Christ there also. Philippians chapter 2 verses 2 and 3. [Speaker 2] "Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." [Speaker 1] Praise the Lord. We are looking at who is meek, what does it mean to be meek. We have seen that being meek is to take the yoke of Jesus and place it upon ourselves. We have seen that here, being meek is to esteem others more than yourself. And you know we are in the days and the eras where self-assertion is being applauded. Where it's like proclaim yourself, if you don't announce yourself, no one will announce you. But Jesus Christ is teaching us here that if you choose to be meek and to follow him, we must esteem others. To esteem others, to put others first. Our pastor here has shared with us before that there were few of them living together. And then they will be struggling for who to cook. Not dodging it, but, "No, I will be the one to cook." The other one says, "No, I will cook." And the other one says, "No, no, I should cook, you go and rest." What a life. I wish the whole world is like that. What peace we will have enjoyed. To esteem others, to put others first. There is a song we sing in the children's Sunday School: J-O-Y, J-O-Y, this is what it means: Jesus first, myself last, and others in between. J-O-Y, J-O-Y, this is what it means: Jesus first, myself last, and others in between. That means I step down for others to pass. I give in, I choose to allow others to surpass me. Praise the Lord. I'm not struggling to be first, I'm rather stepping down for others to be first. That's not the way of the world. But that's the attitude and the principle Jesus Christ wants us to imbibe. He wants us to be meek, to put others first. And I tell you it's not an easy job. It takes the spirit of God to actualize this. It takes the spirit of God to enter into this principle. It takes selflessness. It takes forgetting self. It takes putting away self. It takes fixing our focus on Jesus to be able to do this, because it's not the way of the natural man. The Lord will help us in Jesus' name. Let's also look at 1 Peter 2:21 to 23. We are still looking at the meaning of meekness. What does it mean to be meek? [Speaker 2] "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." [Speaker 1] Praise the Lord. Few things in that scripture. He says for to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow in his steps. What does that mean? He suffered for us and we should choose to suffer with him too. That's what it means. Praise the Lord. It means, so, being meek means to accept even suffering for the sake of the faith that I have proclaimed, for the sake of the faith that I have accepted. It means choosing the hard way even when there are other ways to go. Others may go the other way, and they are asking, are you alright? Don't you see this other way? Everybody is doing it. Why do you like to choose difficult paths? But being meek in the way of the Lord is to choose the hard way that pleases God to the other one that does not please him, even though it's an easy way. The Bible says about the children of Israel that God took them through the path of the Red Sea, even though it's a longer journey. There is one other short cut that would have taken them to the promised land instantly, almost. But because the Lord had chosen for them to pass through the way of the Red Sea, that's where they passed. It was a hard way. It was a difficult path. So to be meek, it takes meekness to choose the hard path to the more simplified path that you just change some figures and you get some millions. Just do some things and thing become very easy for you. But a meek man will choose the difficult path that pleases God. Praise the Lord. And the second thing we are seeing there is that the life of Jesus is again placed before us. And he says he didn't commit sin. He didn't sin. He didn't do anything wrong. It was obvious and open even to his killers. They look and look and look for accusation against him. They couldn't get anyone, any reasonable one that warrant death. And Jesus knew, his accusers knew. And yet the Bible says when he was reviled, he did not revile in return. I look at myself how many times somebody do something or say something and I want to react. But the Bible is telling us here that Jesus didn't react. He knew that is the way of the Lord for him. And don't tell me it's because he was God and he had supernatural power to wade it. No, he wasn't comfortable for him. How do I know that? You know when he was praying in the garden of Gethsemane, he was practically asking God, please take this cup away from me. He didn't want to face it. That will tell you that he didn't find it easy. Praise the Lord. But because he knew this is the way of God for me, this is the path God wants me to take, and the Bible says when he was reviled, he didn't revile back. He didn't react. Stop reacting, start acting. What does it mean to react? You only act based on what in reply to what somebody has done or what somebody has said. But when we act, we act according to the word of God. May God give us grace to always act and not react in Jesus' name. He said he was reviled, he didn't revile back. When he suffered, he didn't threaten. But you know he have the power to threaten. And even his word, his own will not be a threat because it's something that he would have carried out exactly. He told Peter, he said, "Put that sword back. Don't you think if I want to deliver myself, it's just a word. I will call my father and he will deliver how many legions of angels and they will come and deal." And we saw it in previous time when they wanted to catch him before time. What happened to him? Some of them he will give them blindness. Some he will just walk away from them. He had the power. But yet he put it under conservation. But he committed himself to the one who is able to judge righteously. And that's what it means to be meek. To leave judgment into the hands of the Lord. To leave occasions in the hand of God. The Bible says we should not retaliate, we should do judgment into the hands of the Lord. The grace to do this the Lord will give unto us in Jesus' name. Then let's us know also that meekness is not timidity. When somebody is meek, it doesn't mean he's timid. Meekness is not timidity. It is neither weakness. In fact, meekness is strength, power under control. Meekness is strength and power under control. He has the power to do it. He has the strength to do it. But he will not do it because it's not good for him to do it. Because it's not godly for him to do it. Praise the Lord. So it is not timidity at all. You know what timidity is? A timid person feels he doesn't have the power to do it. What am I? What can I do? No, that's not a meek person. A meek person is a strong person. I used to tell someone, if a Christian is, you think because a Christian is simple and quiet you can do anything with that person, you are joking. It is when it come to him choosing the will of his father that you will know he is a strong man. Praise the Lord. You know when you can be, you think because I say do this, he does it. Go this way, he goes that way. You think he's mumu. He's timid. No, he's not timidity. It's strength and power under control, under divine control. Praise the Lord. Matthew 26:51. Matthew 26:51. [Speaker 2] "And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear." [Speaker 1] 52. [Speaker 2] "Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." [Speaker 1] Praise the Lord. Can you see that scenario? It is not that the disciples of Jesus, even the disciples of Jesus, by finding sword with Peter, you will know that they are not timid men. By finding that sword with Peter, you will know they are not unprepared men. They are warriors, both spiritual and physical. That's what it shows us. That at that point when they wanted to arrest Jesus, if he had allowed them to fight, nobody would have been able to take Jesus away from them. They have that ability to fight even physically. But Jesus said, "No, don't do that." It was there if we read down, "If I wanted to fight, you don't even need to lift a finger. I know what to do." That's what we call strength, power under control. Jesus said, "No, don't do it." Why? Because those who kill by the sword will die by the sword. It's not the will of my father. Don't do it, don't exert your strength in this way, in this matter. One the other gospel says he Peter even cut the ear of the servant of the high priest, and Jesus pick it up in that critical moments and fix it back. To tell you it's not that I don't have the power to deliver myself, but this is the will of my father. This is the cup I must drink. And that's the way of a meek man. That's the way of meekness. And the way God is calling us to. Honestly speaking, like I said, we are privileged people for God to be raising some of these matters with us at this time. And my prayer is that our heart will accept this truth and our heart will work with it and work in it in Jesus' name. So that's about meekness. Meekness is not weakness, it's not timidity. You know they will think I'm not wise. If I allow them to just cheat me like that and just go, they will think I don't know what I'm doing. No. You know what you are doing, yet you may allow, the Bible says we should allow ourselves to be defrauded. You allow, you choose it. The way of meekness is a choice for a child of God. It's a choice. It's a choice to just walk away. That woman is just abusing you and railing all manner of curses on you and abuse you and say terrible things about you and you just walk away and then turn around and say God bless you ma. People that won't see that one. Praise the Lord. But do you know that the way of meekness is the way of glory? We are going there. Praise the Lord. So, the third focal point is inherit the earth. What does it mean to inherit the earth? Because the Bible says blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. So what does it mean? If I'm meek, what is the earth I will inherit? The number one thing I see there is that it means to inherit what God has promised. To inherit what God has promised in the scriptures and in our hearing. There are so many numerous things God has promised us in the scriptures, so many. And even in our communication with him, in our devotion to him, in our relationship with him, there are issues he has spoken to our heart, this is what I'm going to do for you, this is what I'm going to do with you. It takes meekness to inherit the promise of God. Because sometimes, you are in your closet praying and God will be speaking as if as soon as you stand up from that praying position, you will just enter into that thing he is saying. Am I the only one feeling like that? He will speak sometimes, he will speak and speak. I don't want to say he will speak bogusly because that's how God speaks, he speaks bogusly. But his own bogus speaking is real. He's real. So he will speak to you, he will speak to you and as you stand up from the prayer position as if the moment you go out, it may take another five, ten years before that thing that was said will come true. If a man is not meek, he would have walked away from it. He would have diverted and said, "We have not, how long? This promise of his coming, we have not seen it, let's do something else." He would have been like Peter, "This Jesus that saved us and we have not seen him again, let's go and fish." But it take a meek man to say, "He said he is coming, I will still stand here." Even when the whole world is passing and going away from the person and passing and looking at, "Don't you have something reasonable to do with your life? Why are you still waiting here?" But Jesus said I should wait. You? Are you not foolish? People will call you names. But each time they ask what are you doing here? Because he said I should wait. Praise the Lord. It takes meekness. It takes selflessness. It takes humbleness of spirit to be able to endure all of those agony. It takes meekness to inherit the promise of God, to get what God has promised. Look at father Abraham. He was 75 years old when God said, "Okay, I'm going to give you a special son that will be a blessing to the whole world." And that man was waiting. You will think in the next few years he will embrace that baby. And he waited and waited and waited and waited and waited. At a time he was out of himself, he's like, and then a little suggestion came and he took it, and we are still suffering for that diversion till today. Praise the Lord. So it takes meekness to inherit the purpose of God, the promise of God. Look at Joseph. Joseph, when he was a little boy, had a dream, wonderful dream, that anyone will have celebrated and say wow, I'm favored. But the first step that that dream will lead him to is slavery. In fact, the first one is hatred from his brother. At a point even his father was like, "This boy, what's wrong with you? Are you saying me I'm going to bow to you and your mother too? What kind of dream is that?" So what the first thing that that dream brought to him was hatred from his brothers. That hatred would have led to death but for God's preservation. I pray that the Lord will preserve us until our dreams come true in the name of Jesus Christ. So God preserved him and he landed in slavery. And he was doing well, he was okay, maybe this is what God talked about. I thank God for Saturday meeting. Though I was not here physically, but I was here. I was... he would have, I mean, when he become a slave and everything was going smoothly and his oga was in favor with him, he will say, "Oh, maybe this is the glory God showed me." Maybe he would have settled. But God is a God that give us much more than we desire. Praise the Lord. God does much more. No wonder the Bible says he's able to do exceedingly abundantly above what we ask or think or imagine, according to the power that work in us. Zacharias maybe have concluded in himself that the issue of childbearing is closed, it's a closed chapter. And just simply like that, God showed to him. It's the same way. Joseph must have thought as he was in prison, the only thing Joseph must be desiring when he was in prison was that he will be released. That's why he told the servants of the high priest of the king, "Please oh, when you go out, don't forget me oh. Bring me out of this dungeon." Or better still, if only I can just be reconciled with my family. And maybe that was all that was in Joseph's head. How will he have thought that he will be Prime Minister in Egypt? He was a slave, he was an alien, he was not born in the place, in the city. He was not from the royal family. How will he have been thinking that in his widest imagination, he will become the Prime Minister of Egypt? I don't think he was thinking like that. But the point we are making today is that if not for Joseph's meekness, he wouldn't have seen the glory of God. In spite of all this suffering, he was of a vibrant spirit. He was doing all that needed for him to be done. He was exhibiting the life of God wherever he goes. The Bible says even when he was a slave, he was doing his best, because he knew he was not working for those men, he was working for God. And I think this message is very important to most of us who are working for private organizations. Sometimes you are used and used and used and abused. Thank God for the scriptures. It says bless them that despitefully use you. Praise the Lord. So, in spite of that, Joseph was still doing his best. He was doing his best even though he was a slave. He was doing his best. And then something led to something and something and something. He landed in prison. Even while he was in prison, I was thinking as he is in prison, he would have been moaning and being downcast and saying look at me. I didn't do anything to even be a slave. And now the worst of it is that now look. If I'd known I would have slept with that woman, I would not have been in this prison. No, he didn't think like that. Because he knew the God he was following. And my challenge to our heart is that do you know the God you are following? Because a man will not be able to be meek if he doesn't understand the God he is following. He's the God that defends his own. Praise the Lord. He defends to the last. Men may think they are cheating you at the moment. Men may think they are riding you. Men may think they are abusing you. You know there are some that will gloriously use you, isn't it? They will use you and make you feel important. But there are some, they are using you oh, they will say you are useless. What can you do? Praise the Lord. But Joseph was of a vibrant spirit. He was doing his best even in prison. And just one day God show forth for him. God will always show forth for the meek. And I pray God will show forth for us in Jesus' name. So to inherit the earth means to inherit what God has promised. Number two: having abundance of peace. That's what it means. To have abundance of peace. In my walking with God, in my being a Christian for these years, one thing I appreciate God for every day is the peace of mind. Peace of mind. It's when you don't have it you will know it. May we not know it in Jesus' name. When a man doesn't have peace, he may have money. He may be using money to sew agbada. Money may be useless to him, but he doesn't have peace. You will see him running from just a lizard pass him like that, he's seen something else. No peace. He cannot eat anything, cannot eat anywhere. He cannot go anywhere. He doesn't have peace. There are men out there that will give anything, everything they have to have the peace of mind. They don't have peace. You will hear them, "okan mi o bale, eru nba mi." But here we are with the abundant peace of God in our heart. Let's look at Psalm 37:11. Psalm 37:11. [Speaker 2] "But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." [Speaker 1] Amen. Thank you. Let me read this in King James. It said "But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." Can you see that? They will delight themselves in the abundance of peace. That's the meek. The peace of God. The Bible says is the peace of God that passeth understanding. You can't understand it. That's why we are a wonder to some people. The things you are going through you are still smiling and greeting "Eku amoran, eku asayan ma." Some people are planning to commit suicide on it. And what made the difference? The peace of God. The peace of God. There is no peace anywhere in this world. Apart from the physical unrest, physical insecurity we have around, there are lack of peace in the hearts of men. Their hearts are failing them. That's why you see him in the morning, in the afternoon they say he has gone. There is no peace. But for a child of God, to be able to that your beans, that your beans you just boil it and eat it and you enjoy it. There are people that have the money, they don't enjoy what they have. So, one inheriting the earth means having the abundant peace of God. Even verse 37 of the same chapter says, "Mark the blameless man and observe the upright, for the future of that man is peace." Can you see it? Even the path we are treading is a path of peace that leads to peace. Amen. So it's wise to choose the way of meekness, because it is the way of peace. The way of meekness, the way of gentleness. A meek man doesn't have enemies. He doesn't have prison yard in his heart. I hope you know that if you have issues against someone, the moment you are approaching that person, what happens to the heart? Bip, bip. You are keeping malice with somebody, as soon as that person is coming, the first thing that happens to your heart is bip, bip. No peace. But for the child of God who walks in meekness, he has abundance of peace. And I hope you know that the peace of God is something that the whole world is craving for. You find people going for drugs, you see them going to bars and then drinking and everything. What are they looking for? Peace. But as soon as they stand up from that drinking, the reality of the lack of peace stares them in the face. But our own is different, it's consistent, it's constant. Praise the Lord. So to inherit the earth is to have peace with oneself, with God, and with people around me. Number three: receiving the deliverance and salvation of the Lord as the Lord fights the battles. Praise the Lord. We are looking at what does it mean to inherit the earth. It means to receive the deliverance and the salvation of the Lord as the Lord fights his battle, the individual's battle. You need to know what men are doing to fight their battle. They will tell you it's one cow in the middle of the night, take it, go and bury it so-and-so place. Very ridiculous things. You wear white, you don't wear any other thing oh. Each time I see these celebrities and they embrace some of these habits, I just know somebody has told him to be doing that thing, that that's what will keep him. You see some of them even in the daylight they are holding torchlight. Somebody has deceived them that that's where the life is. Praise the Lord. But for the child of God, you are just at rest. The Lord is fighting, fighting the battle. You are just sure. It's not that he is unaware of the facts that there are battles. Are we not aware of that? We are, even as we are sitting now, there are battles raging over our life. The child of God is aware. He's not ignorant of the fact that they will surely gather. But because their gathering is not of God, what happens to them? They scatter. So the child of God, the man of meekness, is secured because his case is in the hands of the Lord. His battle is in the hands of the Lord. The Lord says you will keep your peace and I will do what? I will fight for you. He says you are not going to be fighting in this battle. He says thousands shall fall by your side, ten thousand by our right hand side, they shall not come near us. Only with our eyes shall we see and behold the reward of the wicked. That's the way of man, the man of peace, the man of meekness. So, to inherit the earth is to have rest from war, from battle. To know that my salvation is in the hands of the Lord. To know that my deliverance is in the hands of the Lord. Job was doing his own things, was going his way, he was enjoying himself, he was serving his God the way he knows how to do it. And devil was searching him out, checking him out all round, check out him in his children, check out him in his work, check him out in every of his affairs. But he couldn't do anything to him. Praise the Lord. He couldn't lift a finger against him. And the thing was paining him, such that when he faced God, and God mentioned Job, he said, "Is it not because you have encamped him with security? Just leave him for me for one day." Praise the Lord. The reason he knows that there are hedges, I mean, there is an edge around Job's is because he has been checking him out. He has been going to see whether I can make him to fall. He has not gotten anywhere. Whether he can afflict him. But he has not gotten anywhere. Praise the Lord. So, to inherit the earth means that our battle is in the hands of the Lord. Psalm 149 verse 4. Psalm 149 verse 4. [Speaker 2] "For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation." [Speaker 1] He beautifies the meek with salvation. Another word we can use to replace that is with deliverance. He beautifies the meek with deliverance. Our life shall continually be beautified with the deliverance of God in Jesus' name. And the last one I have here is being guided and taught by the Lord. We are looking at what does it mean to inherit the earth. Being guided and taught by the Lord. It takes meekness to be taught by the Lord. His word, sometimes, is not palatable. On Saturday our sister was saying that when he shares some of his mind, his principles, with the disciples, the larger disciples, the Bible says some... those who have been eating his meat, who have been eating his bread, who have been following him for healing and deliverance. As soon as he taught them some hard truth, everybody is like, "Oga, are you still there? I don't go. What kind of thing is this one? How can I eat his flesh? What is he saying? What does he mean?" And one by one they left him. And Jesus was not perturbed. He look at the core disciples and said, "Are you going too?" He didn't disturb him that they have left. "Won't you go?" And Peter, you know our brother, he said, "Where are we going? We have come to tabernacle with you. Only you have the word that we need, the word of eternal life." I pray that the conclusion of our heart will be that only Christ has what we are looking for in the name of Jesus Christ. So, to inherit the earth is to be guided. A man that is guided by God will not miss it. A young man came to my place of work today, he was looking for job. So I was to talk with to him. I look at him, he told me the story this, this. So where church do you belong? He said Redeemed. What's the name of your parish? He cannot remember. I look at him. I say, "Do you know what you are doing with life?" He said he was a sheriff in Ife, and then something happened and something happened and then they drove him away. I say, "Do you know what you are doing with life? You are groping. You are groping in darkness." The world is dark, and you, you are groping. You need light. He was looking at me. I say, "You need light, and that light is Jesus that you need. And he's the one you have been avoiding. You left home and you left the faith that your parents deliver into your hands. You are groping. What you are looking for you will never get it." Praise the Lord. But that's not the case of a man that is guided by God. He guides us step by step. He said his word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. A man of meekness is guided because he has the patience to stay before the Lord. And he says, "This is what you should do." A lady we served together in the children department in my church said, I said, "Ah, what are you doing?" she said she goes to shop. "What are you doing?" that she is doing this POS, and then she is selling chicken feed. I said, "Ah, all the lucrative business, that's what you have combined together." She said it's God that led me to it. If you look at her you will not think she will do that kind of a thing. She is a big woman. She said when what I was doing was disturbing my children, I now went before the Lord, I said, "God, what shall I do?" And he led me to do it. I said, "Wow." My heart was challenged again. A man that is guided by God will never miss it, in spite of the darkness of this world. The Bible says in the last days that darkness will cover the earth and thick darkness upon people. But there will always be that light. Praise the Lord. And that light is Jesus. So whoever walk in that light will never stumble. So, to inherit the earth is to be guided by God. You want to do this, he tell you to do it. You want to go this way, he tells you to go that way. You want to do, he says, "No, no, don't go here." Look at David. David was a man of war, he had been fighting war right from when he was a youth. He was small, he was young. But each time the Bible showed him to us, he will, each time there is a battle before him, he will still ask the Lord, "How do I handle it?" He didn't depend on experience. A meek man doesn't depend on experience, he depends on God to guide him and to teach him. A meek man will not take himself to be wise. He will not take himself to be wise. Even when he has opportunity for high level of education, he will not depend on that for wisdom. He will always seek the Lord to be taught by him. Praise the Lord. That's what it means to inherit the earth. Psalm 25 verse 9. Psalm 25 verse 9. It says, "The humble he guides in justice, and the humble he teaches his way." It takes humility to be taught in the way of the Lord. Because like I said, his way is not a wara-wara way. It's not instant. All these instant noodles, instant... no. Somebody said if God allow his child to pass through suffering, he said in that suffering he is making him. Praise the Lord. Even in suffering. That's what David came to understand when he wrote Psalm 23. He said, "Even when I pass through the valley of shadow of death, I will not fear." He knew, he's not saying that because he is the one that just dabble into that way. No. He knew if even if that is the way he led me through, I will be secured. He will rescue me. I think that's what the same thing father Abraham understood when God says, "Go and kill this Isaac." He didn't argue. He didn't query God and say, "But you said this one will be a pillar, and through him you will bless the whole world." He didn't argue. He understood that if this is the way God wants me to go, he knows what he is doing. He understood God. And that's why I said no man will be meek if he doesn't understand the God he is following. Our prayer, our earnest cry is that we will understand God as we follow him in Jesus' name. Abraham knew, he said, "Well, he said I should go and kill him. I'll go and kill him, he knows what to do with him." He can wake him up if he likes. He can resurrect him if he likes. He can do anything, but I know his hope, the promise he made to me is in this one. And he was taking that promise to go and kill without any fear. Praise the Lord. So, a man that will inherit the earth, it means he is being guided step by step, day by day. I always said, and I believe in myself that there is nothing too small to ask God for leadership over, and there is nothing too great that he cannot lead us. I always said it jokingly in my place of work, "The day I say, 'God, what should I wear today?'" Maybe I'm tired of all the old stuff, and I say, "God, what should I wear today?" and he says, "Take this one and join it with that one." And I join it. You will think I just bought it yesterday. Everyone say, "Wow, you look wonderful in this! Ah, this thing fits you! This color come out on you!" I said, "But I've been wearing this thing for so long." The point I'm making here is that when God guides a man in anything, it's the way of glory. And we will not miss that glory in Jesus' name. So, having looked at these issues that have been raised, all this understanding that God has brought to us, it is obvious that only those who are in Christ, who have viable, consistent relationship with God, can cultivate the attitude of meekness. Is that not true? Have you seen an unbeliever that is meek before? I used to have an uncle, a cousin, actually, my father's cousin. Very quiet when we were small. So he will always follow my father to the farm. And so we were always together. But even as we'll be in the farm, he will not talk to us, very quiet. So one day I mistakenly, you know this akerigbe—what do they call it now in Oyibo? That's what we use to fetch water and keep... calabash jug, that calabash gourd, right? That's what we use to fetch water. So I went there, you know children now, maybe I wanted to play with the water. I just opened it, the thing went pa, and I wanted to put it in my mouth. The way he shouted at me and he, I saw him in new light that day. A man will only be quiet as long as the thing around him is comfortable. When it's not comfortable, he will react. But a child of God, no matter what, he will maintain the meekness of God. Praise the Lord. So, it takes Christ in us to be able to cultivate the attitude of meekness. It takes the Holy Spirit. In fact, remember that the fruit, meekness is a fruit of the spirit in Galatians chapter 5 from 19 downward. Praise the Lord. So, it is as we daily yield to Christ's teaching and leading that we cultivate the attitude of meekness. A friend said, "When you have challenge and you pray," he said the situation might not have changed, but your heart will change. That's one thing prayer does to us. When you go to the Lord in prayer, there is a way he softens our heart, he changes our heart. The situation you are praying about might not have changed, but your heart will have changed. So as we daily commune with him, as we daily listen to his teachings and his leading, then we'll be able to cultivate the attitude of meekness. Meekness is opposed to the flesh. Is that not true? No natural man can be meek. No, it's not possible. It takes the working of the Holy Spirit in the life of the child of God to cultivate the attitude of meekness. And I pray as we continually follow the Lord, he will give us the grace to be meek before him and before men, such that our lives will attract men to him in the name of Jesus Christ. Let us pray. I don't know what you have heard this evening, what the Lord has spoken to your heart. I'd like us to pray. Respond to God and say, "God, help me." There is gain in being meek, but it's not an easy path. It's not an easy path. It's not appealing. It's not a path that is appealing. But the Lord can help us. Can we ask him, "Lord help me. Help me to be meek. Help me to cultivate the attitude of meekness. Let it be my lifestyle to be quiet, gentle, and humble. So that I can inherit the earth. I can inherit your promise. I can live in peace. I can live in peace, in harmony. I can live in peace with myself, with God, and with people around me. Give me the grace. Give me the enabling grace." Thank you, Father. We give you praise. In Jesus' precious name we pray. Amen. Precious Father, we are grateful unto you. We indeed express our gratitude. Lord our God, you are pointing to us matters of the kingdom. Principles of the kingdom. Kingdom methodology. And Lord, we also know it takes God to follow God. Lord our God, we pray, make us perfect in every good works to do your will, in the name of Jesus. This matter that you are raising with us, Lord we pray, work in us this matter that is well-pleasing in your sight in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, we say more of you and less of us. May there be an increase of Jesus. Increase of the life of Christ. Increase of your image. May we daily be transformed from earthly to heavenly, carrying this image. Image of meekness. The Bible says you are lowly and meek in spirit. Lord, that we may carry this image in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, our eyes are on you. Our eyes are on you. Let nothing prevail against your purposes in our lives in the name of Jesus Christ. Rather, Lord, we pray, that by you, through you, Lord, we will climb mountains. Lord, we will surmount challenges. Lord, we will follow the narrow way and more and more and more and more, daily be conformed to your likeness in the name of Jesus. Thank you, eternal Father. Blessed be your holy name our God. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let's share the grace together. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forever more. Amen. Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives, and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. Amen. Thank you, Father. This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, a Christian ministry involved in enriching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development, and mission help. Our regular activities are discipleship class every Monday, 5:00 PM; adolescent and singles club, every first Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; marriage forum, second Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; family life seminars, regular school outreaches, and every day counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location, Life Camp by the first bridge, Ile-Iwe community, opposite Very Joy filling station along Ije-Are road, Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria. You can also reach us through our social media handles: familytent@yahoo.co.uk, familytentministry01@gmail.com, www.familytentministry.org. Our phone numbers are 08033861136, 07033613848. God bless you all. [Music fades out]