This sermon outline on Moses shows how meekness was characteristic in his life, and how it’s absence was his undoing. He endured a lot of hardships and battles, but meekness made him effective as a leader. We can learn from this and seek to be an good example in this area of meekness.
Title: “Moses; A Man Of Meekness!”
Text: Numbers 12:3
(Numbers 12:3) “(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)” (KJV)
Introduction:
• This chapter falls after the turmoil of the children of Israel complaining about their environment.
• They were tired of the manna, and they were crying & greatly upset because they did not have the luxuries of Egypt anymore.
• God is upset and Moses as well. Moses complains about the heavy burden placed upon him. (11:10-15)
• God helps Moses by appointing seventy men to leadership. After this God sends the quails into the camp and the people got sick as a result.
• What’s more, we find in the beginning of chapter twelve that Moses’ own family rises up in rebellion against him.
• Then we see that blessed word for the first time in our Bibles: MEEK
• God’s testimony of Moses is that he was the meekest man on the earth.
• As we say that, one must consider that Moses was under a lot of weight and was depressed by that weight (not mentally deficient) for it took a toll on him physically, emotionally and spiritually!
• The virtue of meekness does not shine as the gem it is except in the light of adversity!
• One can say they are meek, but until they are put to the test, it is impure gold.
• God placed Moses in the crucible of suffering to remove the impurities of character from his life.
• From this Divine refinery, Moses shone brightly above his peers, to the glory of God, in the area of meekness.
• All of us need to be meek as well.
• In this message I want to show you what meekness is, and how it is needful for today.
• We are going to see that this great virtue which once gave off a sweet smelling aroma in Moses’ life did prove to be the very area in which Moses failed God; resulting in the loss of his entry into Canaan.
Proposition: There are three things I want us to look at that should help us this evening in the area of meekness!
I. What Is Meekness?
A. It has been defined in many ways:
a. To remain calm in the face of abuse. – Kittle’s (Volume VI page 646)
b. “not easily provoked or disposed to complain, not proud of self-sufficient, but humble, patient, and submissive.” – Family Bible Notes – Power Bible CD
c. “1. patient and mild; not inclined to anger and resentment. 2. a) tamely submissive; easily imposed on. B) too submissive; spineless; spiritless. 3. gentle or kind. Synonym – humble” – Webster’s New World Dictionary
B. What plasma is to blood is what meekness is to godliness.
C. Meekness gels in its exhibition of what Christ did when he was beaten for you and I, yet He opened not His mouth.
D. Christ did not come as a barbarous, self willed king, but as a Prince of Peace, a meek Messiah.
(Matthew 21:5) “Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.” (KJV)
E. Christ declared that because of His meekness we could find help!
(Matthew 11:28-30) “Come unto me, all ye that labour 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 in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (KJV)
F. Meekness is a tranquil room in the midst of a bustling hotel, it is a placid spring beside a six lane superhighway.
G. Meekness is a characteristic of a Christian’s life!
(Ephesians 4:1-3) “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (KJV)
(Colossians 3:12-13) “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” (KJV)
II. Why Is Meekness Needed?
A. There are numerous reasons why meekness should be in a child of God’s life!
a. Jesus placed great stock in it through His words in the Sermon on the Mount!
(Matthew 5:5) “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” (KJV)
b. Paul stated that it was a fruit of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian. Token evidence that the Holy Ghost is leading the believer!
(Galatians 5:22-23) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (KJV)
c. It is needed to effective reach lost people!
(2 Timothy 2:24-26) “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” (KJV)
(1 Peter 3:15) “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” (KJV)
(1 Peter 3:4) “But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” (KJV)
d. It is hospital emergency room for the fallen believer!
(Galatians 6:1) “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” (KJV)
e. It should be a virtue of a spiritual leader!
(1 Timothy 6:11) “But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.” (KJV)
(Titus 3:2-3) “To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.” (KJV)
B. When meekness is avoided or misunderstood, then a Christian is very apt to be rendered ineffective in their walk with God.
C. It is like fighting fire with a bucket instead of a pressurized fire hose; it is like doing surgery with plastics knives instead of instruments of the trade; it is like chopping down a tree with a dull spoon, instead of a sharp axe.
D. Thus we can see how serious we should be about this virtue of meekness. IT IS NEEDED!
III. What Happened To Moses?
A. Moses, who will forever be known as the meekest man, lost his temper one day and it cost him the blessing of God!
B. Consider:
(Numbers 20:7-15) “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them. And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us: How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers:” (KJV)
C. Moses was to speak to the rock this time instead of smiting it.
D. Moses had to view Canaan, which to us is the picture of the blessings of God, from a distance.
E. So it is with you and I; we abandon the arena of meekness and embrace resentment, bitterness, and anger. We find ourselves viewing the blessings of God in other’s lives and not experiencing them to a greater degree in our own lives!
Conclusion:
To The Sinner:
• Be saved!
To The Christian:
• Meekness is the order of the day!
