3-19-2024
Transcription
The transcription is a sermon discussing the concept of being meek and how the meek inherit the earth. The speaker talks about the characteristics of a meek person, such as being submissive to God's will, humble, patient, forgiving, and contented. They also mention examples of meekness in real life, where the meek conquer through kindness and gentleness. The speaker emphasizes the importance of self-control and knowing when to speak. They also talk about how the meek enjoy life and find contentment in whatever they have, rather than relying on material possessions. The meek inherit the earth not only by enjoying what they have, but also by being glad for what others have. The speaker concludes that the meek spirit of man inherits the whole earth and encourages being content and eternally minded. Hi. Good morning, afternoon, or evening, whatever time this finds you in. We're going to continue on with more explanation about Matthew 5.5, "...who blessed are the meat, for they shall inherit the earth." Okay. Let me go ahead and open us up in prayer. Father God, we thank you. We want to enter your gates with thanksgiving. We give you all the glory. We praise you, Lord. We thank you for your love. Thank you for you. You bless us with your existence, and it's so tough to not thank you for all the things that you show upon us in your love. We want to lift up all the governing bodies around the world, Lord. Your word says you want none to perish but all to come to repentance, and we want the same thing. We want a heart like yours, Lord. Help us to love as you love, and help us to see as you see. Help us to not suppose we know who is who and what side they're on in this world, but to continually intercede and to bring you into every situation. We want you to receive all the glory. If we have a great idea, we know it's from you, because what we bring is the filthy rag. We lift up all of our family members who don't yet believe. May they see our works and give you glory. May what we do make it so attractive to be a believer, Lord, so we know there will be persecution, but our humility in you draw them to you. Jesus, please open our minds to understand the scriptures just as you did your first disciples. In your name, amen. Okay, so last week we were discussing who are the meek, and I'll just quickly list what they were. I won't necessarily read that section again, but they were those who are submissive to God's will, those who are flexible to God's word, those who are humble, those who are gentle, those who are patient, those who are forgiving, and those who are contented. I can't help but see the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5. I'm having a brain fart. Galatians 5, 21 and 20. It's somewhere in the 20s. Please forgive me. I wasn't...22 and 23. And it is by His Spirit that we are truly going to accomplish this concept of being meek anyway. Going back to, like, you know, the first Beatitude is, blessed are the poor in spirit, those who recognize they're in need of a Savior. And that brings on, you know, mourning our own sin. Mourning the fact that we have a sin nature, you know, because as we are without our Savior, we cannot, we cannot even...we can't do anything to make ourselves worthy if it's Him. And then meek comes after. So now we're going to read about how do the meek inherit the earth. Jesus said, blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. This promise is similar to the inspired declaration of Paul. Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. First Timothy 4a. Oh, and I'm continuing on with the Beatitudes sermon by Charles Spurgeon. Forgot to mention that. By conquering the earth. So first, it is the meek man who inherits the earth, for he is the earth's conqueror. He is the conqueror of the world wherever he goes. William the Conqueror came to England with sword and fire, but the Christian conqueror wins his victories in a superior manner by the weapons of kindness and meekness. In the Puritan times, there was an eminent and godly minister, Mr. Dearing, who left some writings that are still available. While sitting down to eat one day, a graceless fellow insulted him by throwing a glass of beer in his face. The good man simply took his handkerchief, wiped his face, and went on eating his dinner. The man provoked him a second time by doing the same thing, and he even did it a third time, with many oaths and blasphemy. Mr. Dearing made no reply but simply wiped his face. On the third occasion, the man came and fell at his feet and sat and said that the demonstration of his Christian meekness and the look of tender, pitying love that Mr. Dearing had cast upon him had quite subdued him. So the good man was the conqueror of the bad one. No Alexander was ever greater than the man who could bear such insults like that. And holy Mr. Dodd, when he spoke to a man who was swearing in the street, received a blow in the mouth that knocked out two of his teeth. The holy man wiped the blood from his face and said to his assailant, you may knock out all my teeth if you will permit me to speak to you so that your soul may be saved. And the man was won by this Christian forbearance. It is wonderful what rough natures will yield before gentle natures. After all, it is not the strong who conquer, but the weak. There has been a long enmity, as you know, between wolves and sheep. The sheep have never taken to fighting, yet they have won the victory. And there are more sheep than wolves in the world today. In England, the wolves are all dead, but the sheep have multiplied by tens of thousands. The anvil stands still while the hammer beats upon it. But one anvil wears out many hammers. Likewise, gentleness and patience will ultimately win the day. At this present moment, who is mightier? Caesar with his legions or Christ with his cross? We know who will be the victor before long. Not Muhammad with his sharp scimitar, but Christ with his doctrine of love. When all earthly forces are overthrown, Christ's kingdom will still stand. Nothing is mightier than meekness, and it is the meek who inherit the earth in that sense. I know we've all heard, meek is not weak. It is definitely, it takes more strength to restrain. And in that sense, we're talking about the spirit of the spirit, the fruit of the spirit of self-control. Knowing when to say something, how to say something. And who to say it to. So by enjoying what they have, they will inherit the earth. If you find a man who thoroughly enjoys life, I will tell you at once that he is a meek, quiet, spirited man. Enjoyment of life does not consist in the possession of riches. There are many rich men who are utterly miserable, and there are many poor men who are equally miserable. You may have misery, or you may have happiness in any condition of life, according to your state of heart. The meek man is thankful, happy, and contented. And it is contentment that makes life enjoyable. It is so at our family meals. Here comes a man home to his dinner. He bows his head and says, for what we are about to receive, the Lord makes us truly thankful. Then opens his eyes and grumbles, what? Cold mutton again? His spirit is very different from that of the good old Christian who, when he reaches home, finds two herrings and two or three potatoes on the table. And he pronounces over them this blessing, Heavenly Father, we thank you that you have ransacked both earth and seed to find us this feast. His dinner was not as good as the other man's, but he was content with it, and that made it better. Oh, the grumbling that some have when rolling in wealth, and the enjoyment that others have when they have but little. For the dinner of herbs is sweeter than the fatted calf if contentment is there. See Proverbs 15, 17. A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesses. Luke 12, 15. But in the meek and quiet spirit that thanks God for whatever God pleases to give. Oh, says someone, but that is not inheriting the earth, it is only inheriting a part of it. Well, it is inheriting as much of it as we need. And there is a sense in which the meek do really inherit the whole earth. I have often felt when I have been in a meek and quiet spirit as if everything around belonged to me. I have toured a gentleman's estate, and I have been very much obliged to him for keeping the grounds in such order on purpose for me to walk through them. I have gone inside his house and have seen his picture gallery, and I have been very grateful to him for buying such grand pictures. I have hoped also that he would buy a few more so that I might see them when I came next time. I was very glad that I did not have to buy them and pay the servants to watch over them, and that everything was done for me. I have sometimes looked from a hill upon some far-reaching plain, or some quiet village, or some manufacturing town crowded with houses and shops, and I have felt that they were all mine, although I did not have the trouble of collecting the rent that people perhaps might not like to pay. I had only to look upon it all as the sun shone upon it, and then to look up to heaven and say, my father, this is all yours, and therefore it is all mine, for I am an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ, as stated in Romans 8, 17. So in this, the meek spirit of man inherits the whole earth. That makes me think about how we are to be eternally minded, and we're to think of things that are to come, and that helps us to be content in where we are, knowing that all these things are promised to us. So it may not be in a worldly sense right now ours, but it will be, and eternity is so much longer than what we're experiencing right now. Right now is like we're seniors in high school, and we're ready to graduate. We're ready to get on with our lives, so to speak. That's what eternity is going to be. When we are with the Lord, it's graduation day. Okay, the next section, by being glad of what others have. The meek spirited man also inherits the earth in another sense. That is to say, whatever other men have, he is glad that they have it. Perhaps such a man is walking and gets weary. Someone comes riding by, and he says to himself, thank God that man does not need to walk and get tired as I do. I'm glad there is somebody who is free from that trial. He works very hard and perhaps earns very little, but he lives next door to a working man who earns twice his wages and says, thank God that my neighbor does not have such a pinch as I have. I should not like to see him in such a plight as I am in. Sometimes when I'm ill, someone comes in and says, I have been to see someone who is worse than you are. I never get any comfort out of such a remark as that, and my usual answer is, you have made me feel worse than I was before by telling me that there is somebody worse even than I am. The greater comfort for a meek man is this, though I am ill, there are plenty of people who are well, or though I am blind, I bless God that my dear friends can see the flowers and the sun. Or though I am lame, I am thankful that others can run. Or though I am depressed in spirit, I am glad that there are sweet-voiced singers. Or though I am an owl, I rejoice that there are larks to soar and sing, and eagles to mount toward the sun. The meek-spirited man is glad to know that other people are happy, and that happiness is his happiness. He will have a great number of heavens, for everybody else's heaven will be a heaven to him. It will be a heaven to him to know that so many other people are in heaven. And he will praise the Lord for each one whom he sees there. Meekness gives us the enjoyment of what is other people's, yet they do not have any less because of our enjoyment of it. You know, that reminds me of how my upbringing was. It was, you know, anytime I was going through something, the way that others tried to encourage me was to say, oh, I know, you know, there's people worse off than you, as if that was supposed to make me feel better. It kind of did the opposite, does make you feel worse, instead of us taking the proper gratitude attitude, and an appreciative attitude, and appreciate that someone else does have it better, so that they aren't suffering as we are. And that to me is what love is all about. Loving another person and appreciating that they don't have to suffer the way I may have to suffer. Okay, the next section, by seeing the good in others, again, the meek-spirited man inherits the earth in this sense. If there is anybody who is good anywhere near him, he is sure to see him. I have known people to join the church, and after they have been in it a little while, they have said, there is no love there. Now, when a brother says there is no love there, I know that he has been looking in the glass, and at his own reflection has suggested his remarks. Such persons cry out about the deceptions and the hypocrisies in the professing church, and they have some cause for doing so. Only it is a pity that they cannot see the good people, the true saints who are there. The Lord still has a people who love and fear him, a people who will be his in the day when he makes up his jewels. Now, Malachi 3, 7, and it is a pity if we are not able to see what God so much admires. If we are meek, we will be, we will more readily see the excellence of other people. This is a very beautiful passage in the second part of Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress that tells that when Christiana and Mercy had both been bathed and clothed in fine linen, white and clean, they each began to think of the other as better than herself. If we also do this, we will think not, we will not think as badly of this poor present life as some of us do now, but we'll go through it thanking God and praising his name, and so inheriting the earth. With a gentle temper, a quiet spirit, and grace to keep you so, you will be inheriting the earth under any circumstances. If trouble should come, you will bow to it as the willow bows to the wind and so escapes the injury that falls upon sturdier trees. If little vexations should come, you will not allow yourself to be vexed by them, but will say with a little patience, they will all pass away. I think I never admired Archbishop Layton more than when I read about a certain incident in his life that had been recorded. He lived in a small house in Scotland and had only a manservant besides himself in the house. John, the manservant, was very forgetful and one morning when he got up before his master and he thought he would like to have a day's fishing, so he went off and locked his master in. He fished until late in the evening, forgot all about his master, and when he came back, what do you think the bishop said to him? He simply said, John, if you go out for a day's fishing another time, kindly leave me the key. He had had a happy day of prayer and studying all by himself. If it had happened to us, we would have been fuming and fretting and getting up a nice lecture for John when he came back and he richly deserved it. But I do not suppose it was worthwhile for the good man to worry himself about the situation. This incident is, I think, a good illustration of our text by inheriting the promised land. But the text means more than I have yet said, for the promise they shall inherit the earth may be read, they will inherit the land. That is the promised land, the heavenly Canaan. These are the men who will inherit heaven. Far up, far up there, they are all meek spirited. There are no consensions there, intentions there, pride cannot enter there. Anger, wrath, and malice never pollute the atmosphere of the celestial city. There all bow before the king of kings and all rejoice in communion with him and with one another. Beloved, if we are ever to enter heaven, we must fling away ambition and discontent and wrath and self-seeking and selfishness. May God's grace purge us of all these. For as long as any of that evil leaven is in our soul, we cannot go where God is. And then, dear friends, the text means even more than that. We will inherit this earth by and by. David wrote, the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace, Psalm 37, 11. After this earth has been purified by fire, after God has burned the works that bend to ashes, and after every trace of corrupt humanity has been consumed by the fervent heat, then this earth will be fitted up again. Angels will descend with new songs to sing and the new Jerusalem will come down out of heaven from God in all her glory. And then upon this earth, where once was war, the trumpet will ring no more. There will be neither swords nor spears, and men will learn the arts of war no more, Micah 4, 3. The meek will then possess the land and every hill and valley will be glad and every fruitful plain will ring with shouting of joy and peace and gladness throughout the long millennial day. May the Lord send it and may we all be among the meek who will possess the new Eden, whose flowers will never wither and where no serpent's trail will ever seem. But this must be the work of grace. We must be born again, or else our proud spirits will never be meek. And if we have been born again, let it be our joy as long as we live. To show that we are the followers of the meek and lowly Jesus, with whose gracious words I close this chapter. Come unto me, all ye 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 at heart, and ye shall find rest into your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11, 28 to 30. So may it be for Christ's sake, amen. Amen. This is, you know, I've seen this as a process and I want to encourage, even when, you know, if we're not there, he is leading us there. It makes me think of Philippians 1, 6, that he who began a good work in you will fulfill it until the day of Christ Jesus. We bring a willing heart and he does the harvest. We bring a willing heart and he does the hard work. Okay, so now I will go into the bait of Satan and we're on chapter five. It is righteous for God to avenge his servants. It is unrighteous for God's servants to avenge themselves. How spiritual vagabonds are born. The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. So David restrained his servants with these words and did not allow them to rise against Saul. First Samuel 24, six through seven. In the last chapter, we saw how David was mistreated by the man he had hoped would be his father. David kept trying to understand where he'd gone wrong. Where has he, what had he done to turn Saul's heart against him? And how could he win it back? He proved his loyalty by sparing Saul's life, even though Saul aggressively pursued his. He cried out to Saul with his head bowed to the ground, saying, see that there is neither an evil nor rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you. Once David knew he had shown his loyalty to his leader, his mind was eased. Later, he learned more devastating news. Saul still desired to destroy him, but David refused to raise a hand against him, against the one who sought to take his life. Though God had put the army to sleep and had given him a companion to plead for permission to kill Saul, David somehow sensed that his sleeping army served another purpose, the testing of his very heart. God wanted to see whether David would kill to establish his kingdom after the order of Saul, or allow God to establish his throne in righteousness forever. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay. Romans 12, 19. It is righteous for God to avenge his servants. It is unrighteous for God's servants to avenge themselves. Saul was a man who avenged himself. He chased David, a man of honor, for 14 years and murdered the priests and their families. As David stood over the sleeping Saul, he faced an important test. It would reveal whether David still had the noble heart of a shepherd or the insecurity of another Saul. Would he remain a man after God's heart? Initially, it is so much easier when we take matters into our own hands rather than waiting on a righteous God. God tests his servants with obedience. He deliberately places us in situations where the standards of religion and society would appear to justify our actions. He allows others, especially those close to us, to encourage us to protect ourselves. We may even think we would be noble and protect others by avenging ourselves, but this is not God's way. It is the way of the world's wisdom. It is earthly and fleshy, fleshly. When I consider the opportunity I had for exposing the leader of Israel for exposing the leader over me, I remember wrestling with the thought that he might hurt others if he was not exposed. I kept thinking, I'm only reporting truth. If I don't, how will this ever end? I was encouraged by others to expose him. Today, however, I know that God gave me that information for one reason, to test me. Was I going to become like the man who sought to destroy me? Or would I allow for God's judgment or mercy if the man repented? How God, how can God use corrupt leaders? Many people ask, why does God put people under leaders who make serious mistakes and even some who are wicked? Look at the childhood of Samuel. See Samuel two through five. God, not the devil, was the one who put this young man under the authority of a corrupt priest named Eli and his two wicked sons, Hophni and Phineas, who were priests as well. These men were very wicked. They took offerings by manipulation and force and they committed fornication with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle. Can you imagine if you were serving a minister who lived this kind of life? A minister who was so insensitive to the things of the spirit that he couldn't recognize a woman in prayer and accused her of being drunk? So fleshly that he was grossly overweight, so compromising that he did nothing about his son whom he had appointed as leaders. Most Christians today would be offended in search for another church, telling others as they went of the wicked lifestyle of their former pastor and his leaders. In the midst of such corruption, I love the report of what young Samuel did. Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli, first of all. He was the one who put people under the authority of a corrupt priest named Eli. He was the one who put people under the authority of the Lord before Eli, first Samuel 3.1. But corruption took its toll and the word of the Lord was rare in those days. There was no widespread revelation. God seemed distant to the entire Hebrew community. The lamp of God was about to go out in the temple of the Lord. Yet did Samuel go look for another place to worship? Did he form a committee to put Eli and his sons out of the pastorate? No, he ministered to the Lord. God had placed Samuel there and he was not responsible for the behavior of Eli or his son. He was put under them not to judge them, but to serve them. He knew Eli was God's servant, not his. He knew that God was quite capable of dealing with his own. Children do not correct fathers, but it is the duty of fathers to train and correct the children. We are to deal with and confront those whom God has given us to train. This is our responsibility. Those on our own level, we are to encourage and exhort as brothers and sisters. But in this chapter, as with the last, I'm dealing with our response to those in authority over us. Samuel served God's appointed minister the best he could, without the pressure to judge him or correct him. The only time Samuel spoke a word of correction was when Eli came to Samuel and asked him what prophecy God had given him the night before. But even then, it was not a word of correction from Samuel, but from God. If more people would get a hold of this truth, our churches would be different. Churches aren't cafeterias. Today, men and women leave churches so readily if they've seen something wrong in the leadership. Perhaps it is the way the pastor takes offerings. Maybe it is the way the money is spent. If they don't like what the pastor preaches, they leave. He is either not approachable or he is too familiar. The list doesn't end. Rather than face the difficulties and maintain hope, they run to where there appears to be no conflict. Let's face it. Jesus is the only perfect pastor. So why do we run from difficulties? Why do we face the difficulties in America instead of facing them and working through them? When we don't hit these conflicts head on, we usually leave offended. Sometimes we say, our prophetic ministry just was not received. We then go from church to church looking for a place with flawless leadership. At the initial writing of this book, I had been a member of only two churches in the past 14 years. I have had more than two, in fact numerous, opportunity to become offended with the leadership over me. Most of which I might add stemmed from my own fault or immaturity. I had the chance to become critical and judgmental with leadership, but leaving was not the answer. In the midst of a very trying circumstance, one day the Lord spoke to me through a scripture verse and said, this is the way you want to leave a church. For you shall go out with joy and be led out with peace, Isaiah 55, 12 emphasis added. The emphasis is on led out with peace. Most do not leave this way. They think churches are like cafeterias. They can pick and choose what they like. They feel the freedom to stay as long as there are no problems. But this does not agree at all with what the Bible teaches. The Bible does not say God has set the members, each one of them in the body just as they please. Rather it says, but now God has set the members, each one of them in the body just as he please. First Corinthians 12, 18 emphasis added. Remember that if you're in the place where God wants you, the devil will try to offend you to get out. He wants to uproot men and women from the place where God plants them. If he can get you out, he has been successful. If you will not budge, even in the midst of great conflict, you will spoil his plans. The critical deception. I was in a church for several years. The pastor was one of the best preachers in America. When I first attended that church, I would sit with my mouth open in awe of the biblical teaching that came from his mouth. As time passed, because of my position of serving the pastor, I was close enough to see his flaws. I questioned some of his ministry decisions. I became critical and judgmental and offense set in. He preached and I sensed no inspiration or anointing. His preaching no longer ministered to me. Another couple who were our friends and also on staff seemed to be discerning the same thing. God sent them out from the church and they started their own ministry. They asked us to go with them. They knew how we were struggling. They encouraged us to get on with the call of our lives. They would tell us all the things this pastor, his wife, and the leadership were doing wrong. We would commiserate together feeling hopeless and trapped. They seemed sincerely concerned for our welfare, but our discussion only fueled our fire of discontent and offense. As Proverbs 26 20 illustrates, where there is no wood, the fire goes out. And where there is no tailbearer, strife ceases. What they were saying to us may have been correct information, but it was wrong in the eyes of God because it was adding wood to the fire of offense in them as well as in us. We know you are a man of God, they said to me. That's why you are having the problems you are having in this place. It sounded good. My wife and I said to each other, that is it. We are in a bad situation. We need to get out. This pastor and his wife love us. They will pastor us. The people in their church will receive us and the ministry God has given us. We left our home church and began attending this couple's church, but only for a few short months. Even though we thought we had run from our problem, we noticed there was still a struggle for us. Our spirits had no joy. We were bound to a fear of becoming what we had just left. It seemed everything we did was forced and unnatural. We couldn't fit into the flow of the spirit. Now, even our relationship with the new pastor and his wife was strained. Finally, I knew we should return to our home church. When we did, we knew at once that we were back in the will of God, even though it had appeared that we would be more accepted and loved elsewhere. Then God shocked me. John, I never told you to leave this church. You left out of offense. This was not the fault of the other pastor and his wife, but ours. They understood our frustration and were trying to resolve the same issues in their own hearts. When you're out of the will of God, you will not be a blessing or help to any church. When you're out of the will of God, even the good relationships will be strained. We have been out of God's will. Offended people react to the situation and do things that appear right, even though they are not inspired by God. We are not called to react, but to act. If we are obedient to God and have sought him and he is not speaking, then do you know what the answer is? He's probably saying, stay right where you are. Don't change a thing. Often when we feel pressure, we look for a word from God to bring us relief. But God puts us in these very uncomfortable crucibles to mature, refine, and strengthen us, not to destroy us. Within one month, I had an opportunity to meet with the pastor of my original church. I repented of being critical and rebellious. He graciously forgave me. Our relationship was strengthened and joy returned to my heart. I immediately started to receive the pastor's ministry from the pope and again, and I remained in that church for years. The planted flourish. The Bible says in Psalm 92, 13, those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God, emphasis added. Notice that those who flourish are planted in the house of the Lord. What happens to a plant if you transplant it every three weeks? Most of you know that its root system will diminish and it will not blossom or prosper. If you keep transplanting it, the plant will die of shock. Many people go from church to church, ministry team to ministry team, trying to develop their ministry. If God puts them in a place where they are not recognized and encouraged, they're easily offended. If they don't agree with the way something is done, they are offended and go. Then they leave, blaming the leadership. They are blind to any of their own character flaws and do not realize God wanted to refine and mature them through the pressure they were under. Let's learn from the examples God gives with plants and trees. When a fruit tree is put in the ground, it has to face rainstorms, hot sun and wind. If a young tree could talk, it might say, please get me out of here. Put me in a place where there is no sweltering heat or windy storms. If the gardener listened to the tree, he would actually harm it. Trees endure the hot sun and rainstorms by sending their roots down deeper. The adversity they face is eventually the source of great stability. The harshness of the elements surrounding them causes them to seek another source of life. They will one day come to the place that even the greatest of windstorms cannot affect their ability to produce fruit. Several years ago, I lived in Florida, a citrus capital. Most Floridians know that the colder the winter is for the trees, the sweeter the oranges. If we did not run so fast from spiritual resistance, our root systems would have a chance to become stronger and deeper, and our fruit would be plentiful and sweeter in the eyes of God and more palatable to his people. We would be mature trees that the Lord delights in rather than ones uprooted for their lack of fruit, Luke 13, 6-9. We should not resist the very thing God sends to mature us. The psalmist David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, made a powerful connection between offense, the law of God, and our spiritual growth. He wrote in Psalm 1, Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law, he meditates day and night, Psalm 1, 1-2. Then in Psalm 119, 165, he gave us more insight into people who love God's laws. Great peace have they which love or delight in thy law, and nothing shall offend them. Verse 3 of Psalm 1 finally describes the destiny of such a person. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper. In other words, a believer who chooses to delight in the word of God in the midst of adversity will avoid being offended. That person will be like a tree whose roots search deep to where the spirit provides strength and nourishment. He will draw from the well of God deep within his spirit. This will mature him to the point where adversity will now be the catalyst for fruit. Hallelujah. Now we gain insight into Jesus's interpretation of the parable of the sower. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony grounds, who when they have heard the word immediately receive it with gladness and have no root in themselves and so endure but for a time. Afterward, when affliction or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. Mark 4, 16 through 17. Emphasis added. Once you leave the place God has chosen for you, your root system begins to dwarf. The next time it will be easier for you to flee from adversity because you have been careful not to root yourself deeply. You end up coming to the place where you have little or no strength to endure hardship or persecution. You then become a spiritual vagabond wandering from place to place suspicious and afraid that others will mistreat you. Crippled and hindered in your ability to produce true spiritual fruit, you struggle in a self-centered life eating the remains of the fruit of others. Look at Cain and Abel, the first sons of Adam. Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the works of his own hands, the fruit of his vineyard. It was brought forth with much toil. He had to clear the ground of rocks, thumps and other debris. He had to plow and cultivate the soil. He had to plant, water, fertilize and protect his crops. He put much effort in his service toward God but it was his own sacrifice rather than obedience toward God's way. It symbolized the worship of God by one's own strength and ability rather than by God's grace. Abel on the other hand brought an offering of obedience. The choice first born of his flock and their fat. He did not labor as Cain did to bring this forth but it was dear to him. Both brothers would have heard how their mother and father had attempted to cover their nakedness with fig leaves that represented their own works to cover their sin. But God demonstrated acceptable sacrifice by covering Adam and Eve with the skin of an innocent animal. Adam and Eve were ignorant of this unacceptable covering of their sin but having been shown God's way they were no longer ignorant nor were their children. Cain had tried to win God's acceptance apart from his counsel. God responded by showing he would accept those who came to him under his parameters of grace, able sacrifice and would reject what was attempted under the domain of the knowledge of good and evil. Cain's religious works. He then instructed Cain that if he would do good he'd be accepted but if he would not choose life then sin would master him. Cain was offended with the Lord. Rather than repent and do what was right allowing this situation to strengthen his character he vented on Abel his anger and offense with God. He murdered Abel. God said to Cain so now you are cursed from the earth which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you till the ground it shall no longer yield its strength to you a fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth. Genesis 4 11 through 12 emphasis added. The thing Cain feared most to be rejected by God he brought as a judgment on himself. The very medium through which he tried to win God's approval was now cursed by his own hand. The bloodshed now brought a curse. The ground would no longer give up its strength to him. Fruit would come only through great effort. Offended Christians also cut off their own ability to produce fruit. Jesus compared the heart with soil in the parable of the sower. Just as Cain's fields were barren the soil of an offended heart is barren poisoned by bitterness. Offended people still make experience still may experience miracles words of utterances utterance strong preaching and healing in their lives. But these are gifts of the spirit. Not fruits. We will be judged according to fruit not gifting. A gift is given. Fruit is cultivated. Notice that God said Cain would become a fugitive and a vagabond as a result of his actions. The there are numerous spiritual fugitives and vagabonds in our churches today. Their gifts of singing preaching prophesying and so on are not received by the leadership in their previous church. So off they go. They are running aimlessly to carry an offense looking for that perfect church that will receive their gifts and heal their hearts. They feel beat up and persecuted. They feel as if they are modern day Jeremiah. It is quote just them and God end quote. With everyone else out to get them. They become unteachable. They get what I call a persecution complex. Everyone's out to get me. They comfort themselves that they are just a persecuted saint or prophet of God. They are suspicious of everyone. This is exactly what happened to Cain. Look what he says. I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me. Genesis 4.14 emphasis added. Consider that Cain had the persecution complex. Everyone was out to get him. It is the same today. Offended people believe everyone is out to get them. With this attitude it's difficult for them to see areas in their own lives that need change. They isolate themselves and conduct themselves in such a manner that invites abuse. A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire. He rages against all wise judgment. Proverbs 18.1 God never created us to live separately and independently of each other. He likes it when his children care for and nurture each other. He is frustrated when we sulk and feel sorry for ourselves, making everyone else responsible for our happiness. He wants us to be active members of the family. He wants us to get our life from him. An isolated person seeks only his own desire, not God's. He receives no counsel and sets himself up for deception. I'm not talking about seasons in which God calls individuals apart to equip and refresh them. I'm describing those who have imprisoned themselves. They wander from church to church, relationship to relationship, and isolate themselves in their own world. They think that all who do not agree with them are wrong and are against them. They protect themselves in their isolation and feel safe in the controlled environment they have set up for themselves. They no longer have to confront their own character flaws rather than facing the difficulties they try to escape the test. The character development that comes only as they work through conflicts with others is lost as the cycle of offense begins again. The declarations. Holy Spirit, enable me to live in your powers so that when God, my Father, is testing my heart, he will find a heart that seeks after his heart and not the insecurity of a man or woman who seeks to take matters into my own hands. Test my heart with obedience, Lord. I am committed to seeking only your judgment and mercy, not my own. Like the time of Samuel, we live in this day of corruption and compromise among others. Even among spiritual leaders, the word of the Lord in revelation is rare. Make me like a Samuel who refuses to judge others but chooses to serve them instead. Holy Spirit, empower me to serve your appointed leaders and not to judge or correct them. It is not my word of correction that is needed. It is yours. I refuse to run from the difficulties in the church in which you have placed me, but I will work with my spiritual brothers and sisters to face the troubles and to work through them. I refuse to be offended and flee. Father, I will not flee from my church in offense. The only way I will ever leave is to go out with joy and be led out with peace, Isaiah 55, 12. Father, according to your word, you have set me in the body just as you please. I am in the place where you want me, and I will not allow the devil to uproot me through the trap of offense. I will not be moved by the adversities I may face. Like the trees of the forest who endure the harshness of the elements surrounding them unmoved, I will not be moved by adversity, but I will allow my adversities to cause my roots to go deeper in God and my life to produce the fruit of godliness. Father, allow me to become a mature tree in whom you delight rather than one that is uprooted for its lack of fruit, Luke 13, 6-9. My delight is in the law of my Lord. I will meditate upon your word day and night, Psalm 1, 1 and 2. My life is filled with your great peace because I delight in your word and nothing will offend me, Psalm 119, 165. My life is like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth good fruit. My branches will not wither and whatsoever I do in your name will prosper, Psalm 1, verse 3. I will not become a spiritual vagabond wandering from place to place due to my neglect of my spiritual roots. I will not be like Cain who offered God a sacrifice of his own works. I will be like Abel who came to God with a sacrifice of obedience. I am committed to being an active member of God's family. I was not created to live separately and independently of others. I will develop the character of Christ as I care for and nurture others. I will reject the enemy's trap of offense. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for this time with you. Thank you for the instruction. May we meditate on your word, Lord. May we develop a love for your law, a love for your word, and may we rest in you. Thank you for your presence. I ask that whatever we all go through, Lord, that it lead us closer to you. Ask this in Jesus' name, amen.
