Entering God’s Rest

GRACE THROUGH FAITH COMMUNITY CHURCH

TEXT: Matthew 5:5
THEME: The Citizens of the Kingdom of God – Only the Meek Can Enter to the Promised Rest
TITLE: Entering God’s Rest
PROPOSTIONAL STATEMENT: The 3 Indicators of Being Meek

Purpose : to understand that the only way to inherit God’s promise is to become meek
I. INTRODUCTION
A. The Purpose of the Sermon on the Mount

• Jesus wanted to refute/counter the false belief of the Pharasees and Scribes about themselves
o They invented about a system of legalism that leads to self-righteousness
o They became men full of pride. Thinking that they are worthy of God’s kingdom
• Jesus wanted to present the right understanding of themselves and God and His plan
o Jesus was presenting who are the citizens of the kingdom of God
o Jesus taught that the people of the God’s kingdom are those who see their selves spiritually sick
o That they are in the helpless and hopless condition
o And that leads to mourning and brokeness over sin.

B. Review of the Previews Message

• The Reason Why They are Blessed – It is not because of who they are but what the Lord had done to them
o Their eyes were opened
o Their hearts were broken
o Their souls were comforted

C. Presenting third Beattitudes - Meekness

 The Difference between the teaching of Judaism and Jesus’s Teaching
o The blessed are not those who are happy about themselveves but those who are sad about themselves (5:3-4)
o The blessed are not those who are proud but to those who are humble (5:5)
• The Difference between a Broken Spirit (v.3-4) and Meekness (v.5)
o Broken spirit focuses on sinfulness of man – They are slaves of sins – The reason why they cried out
o Meekness focuses on holiness of God

II. Body
A. Definition of Meekness
• Being meek is not being weak – Dictionary defines it as coward – But the Bible does not define it like that
• Its Greek word is “praos” meaning to say gentle, mild, soft, submissive, willing
• It is a power under under control – to rule the spirit is meekness and to be out of control is lack of meekness (rebellion)
• It is a not from man but from God – It is one of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22)

B. Foundation of Meekness
• Meekness came out from the broken heart
• Since God is the one who broke your heart therefore God is the one who provides you a meek heart
• It is a not from man but from God – It is one of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22)

C. The Inheritance of the Meek

• The Greek word for inherit is kleyronomeo – klero “heir”, nomos “law”
• It means that the Meek are legal heir
• The meek will inherit the land
• The phrase “Inherit the Land” was used several times in the Old Testament
o It was a promise of God to Abraham (Gen. 15:7 ; 28:4)
o It was a promise of God to the Israel (Exo. 23:30)
o It was a promise of God to the righteous (Psa. 37:29)
o It was a promise of God through prophecy (Isa. 60:21)

Note: To inherit the land, one must become righteous –God knows who are righteous because He declared it.

• To inherit the land does not mean being prosperous materially
o It means contentment, or a state of peace, rest
o Land is the pictures of Sabbath
o In Genesis Sabbath is pertaining to a day
o In Israel during the wadering in the wilderness Sabbath becomes a land
o In the New Testament Sabbath is relationship (Heb. 4:1,9)
Note: Entering to the Promise Land is a picture of entering to the relationship with God – God’s rest (Heb. 4:3)


Parallelism : Israel who did not enter the Promised Land were not the Meek but the Rebellious - Unrighteous
People today who will not enter the Promised Rest were not Meek but the Rebellious - Unrighteous


The 3 Indicators of Being Meek

1) Those Who Listen to God’s Requisition

• God Has Demand
o Before the Israelites enter the Promised Land, God sent His Law – Be submissive to God’s rulership
o Jesus has a demand to those who will go after Him (Luke 9:23-24)
o Jesus invite the people to go to the narrow gate and walk on the narrow way
o Jesus told the people to repent and believe

• God Provides Divine Sovereign Grace
o Question : Is salvation unconditional? If it is unconditional why there are demands?
 God demands because He is holy
 God demands because He provided Divine Sovereign Grace
 Yes salvation is by grace! The grace of God is the one who works through and through in man
 Those who received grace:
• Will find their selves poor in spirit. Wretched, living in hopless and helpless condition
• Will bow down on their knees and will mourn over their dead spirit
• Will make man call on the name of the Lord for help
• Will repent knowing that they had offended the Holy God

Contrast : People want God to listen to their requests, grumbles, complains rather than to listen to Him – rebellion


2) Those Who Look on God’s Righteousness

• Misunderstaing of the Law
o They use the Law of God as a stairways to heaven - Legalism
o They think they can earn a perfect righteousness in following the Law

• Right Understaing of the Law (Gal. 3:2,10,11 ; Rom. 5:20-21; 7:4)
o Law was given to see ourselves sinful - Holiness of God
o Law was given to see ourselves miserable – Wrath of God
o Law was given to see ourselves in need of a Savior – Righteousness of God

Illustration : Rich Young Ruler – in relation with Romans 7:10

• Contrast : People want God to look on their own righteousness rather than on God’s provided righteousness - rebellion


3) Those Who Love God’s Regulation

• The Knowledge of the Meek about the Law
o The meek will not consider the law of God as a heavy burden (1John 5:3)
o The meek will understand the law is holy, righteous and good (Rom. 7:12) – because the came from God

• The Response of the Meek toward the Law
o The meek delight in the law of the Lord (Psa. 1:2)
o They meek meditate the law day and night (Jos. 1:8

• Contrast : People want God to love them but not to lord over them.


III. CONCLUSION

• The sermon on the mount about the beatitudes is the declaration of God that man is blessed.
• The meek are blessed but the rebellious will never enter in God’s rest
• Meekness is the result of the brokenness over sin
• And that is the reason that the meek will listen to God’s requisition, love God’s provided Righteousness who is Jesus and will love the regulations wholeheartedly
• Stop grumbling like those Israelites when the were in wilderness (Kadesh Barnea) but listen to God’s demand
• Stop looking on your righteousness but look on God’s perfect Righteousness who is Christ
• Stop considering the law of God as a heavey burden but love it because it is from God.
•


For God’s Glory
05/22/11