WEBVTT 00:00:00.270 --> 00:00:05.589 And so in Matthew 21, which is the reason for 00:00:05.589 --> 00:00:12.800 Palm Sunday, arrangements were made. Jesus found 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:15.880 a donkey. Verse 4, all this was done that it 00:00:15.880 --> 00:00:19.339 might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophet 00:00:19.339 --> 00:00:23.660 Joel. Tell the daughter of Zion, behold, your 00:00:23.660 --> 00:00:29.079 king is coming to you lowly and sitting on a 00:00:29.079 --> 00:00:35.359 donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. And we 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:40.840 know that then this happened. And as they came 00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:44.179 in, they waved the palm branches and they threw 00:00:44.179 --> 00:00:47.299 them down and they threw their cloaks as well 00:00:47.299 --> 00:00:51.119 on the ground. And they were preparing a way 00:00:51.119 --> 00:00:56.560 for this king that was coming. A few moments 00:00:56.560 --> 00:01:00.039 later, and I think this is perhaps the picture 00:01:00.039 --> 00:01:03.560 most people have of God. Jesus went into the 00:01:03.560 --> 00:01:07.200 temple and he flipped over the tables and he... 00:01:08.120 --> 00:01:12.280 he was reclaiming the temple as the house of 00:01:12.280 --> 00:01:18.959 the Lord. And we remember the moments that Jesus 00:01:18.959 --> 00:01:23.560 is tough and strong and him shaking his fist 00:01:23.560 --> 00:01:27.480 in the face of the Pharisees saying, you whitewashed 00:01:27.480 --> 00:01:31.219 tombs. How many of you remember all those moments 00:01:31.219 --> 00:01:36.040 of Jesus? And surely he is the soon -and -coming 00:01:36.040 --> 00:01:40.200 king. The second time he comes, he's not going 00:01:40.200 --> 00:01:42.659 to be riding on a donkey. He's going to be riding 00:01:42.659 --> 00:01:46.519 on a white stallion with fire in his eyes, the 00:01:46.519 --> 00:01:50.000 judge of the whole world. That is true. That 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:55.689 is true. And we see his boldness. so many different 00:01:55.689 --> 00:01:58.849 situations. This week we'll be looking at the 00:01:58.849 --> 00:02:04.069 moments of the cross and Pontius Pilate, he looks 00:02:04.069 --> 00:02:07.769 at Pontius Pilate with all the calm and all the 00:02:07.769 --> 00:02:11.449 reserve and he says, you would have no authority 00:02:11.449 --> 00:02:15.509 over me if it were not granted you from above. 00:02:16.330 --> 00:02:20.169 And Jesus, can I just... side note that's not 00:02:20.169 --> 00:02:27.389 in my notes. Jesus is not insecure. Jesus is 00:02:27.389 --> 00:02:31.009 not insecure. If you have parts of your personality, 00:02:31.289 --> 00:02:34.789 and this is oftentimes compartmentalized in our 00:02:34.789 --> 00:02:37.830 lives, there's things that we are insecure about. 00:02:38.629 --> 00:02:41.569 You know, you hang out with Jesus, and you're 00:02:41.569 --> 00:02:46.039 going to get secure like he is. Amen? And that's 00:02:46.039 --> 00:02:49.759 good. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. But here, 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:59.379 Jesus does not come in a grand fashion. He comes 00:02:59.379 --> 00:03:03.099 lowly. In fact, some of your translations say 00:03:03.099 --> 00:03:09.680 gentle. Gentle. The Greek word is translated 00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:17.000 meek. Meek. And it's found, this exact word, 00:03:17.060 --> 00:03:20.860 although derivatives of it are more often in 00:03:20.860 --> 00:03:22.939 Scripture, the fruit of the Spirit, one of the 00:03:22.939 --> 00:03:26.280 fruits of the Spirit is gentleness, right? But 00:03:26.280 --> 00:03:29.060 this exact word, four times in the Scriptures, 00:03:29.379 --> 00:03:33.919 Matthew 5 .5, blessed are the meek, the gentle, 00:03:34.099 --> 00:03:37.360 for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 11 00:03:37.360 --> 00:03:41.759 .29, take my yoke upon you and learn from me, 00:03:41.780 --> 00:03:47.689 for I am gentle. Gentle. 1 Peter 3, 3 and 4. 00:03:48.909 --> 00:03:55.610 Speaking of women's attire, do not let your adornment 00:03:55.610 --> 00:03:59.270 be merely outward, arranging of the hair, wearing 00:03:59.270 --> 00:04:01.629 of the gold, or putting on fine apparel, but 00:04:01.629 --> 00:04:04.550 let it be the hidden person of the heart with 00:04:04.550 --> 00:04:09.810 the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and a quiet. 00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:14.240 So those three times and then also this one. 00:04:14.319 --> 00:04:19.259 Behold, your king comes gentle riding on a donkey. 00:04:20.040 --> 00:04:26.500 Gentleness, a quality that Jesus embodies. And 00:04:26.500 --> 00:04:32.439 I believe wants us to embody as well the spirit 00:04:32.439 --> 00:04:42.009 of gentleness. Jesus got this. DNA of gentleness 00:04:42.009 --> 00:04:52.649 from his father. Gentleness is a quality that 00:04:52.649 --> 00:04:59.069 the father has. It was this quality that David 00:04:59.069 --> 00:05:04.110 often wrote about. One of the, probably the most 00:05:04.110 --> 00:05:11.699 famous psalm in all of the Bible. Shepherd. And 00:05:11.699 --> 00:05:14.879 David understood the fierceness that a shepherd 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:17.860 had to have towards the enemies of the sheep. 00:05:18.860 --> 00:05:24.079 But David understood the gentleness that the 00:05:24.079 --> 00:05:29.720 shepherd had to give to the sheep. He was gentle 00:05:29.720 --> 00:05:33.500 with them and he knew the Lord as somebody that 00:05:33.500 --> 00:05:38.120 was my shepherd that was gentle with me. Gentleness. 00:05:39.399 --> 00:05:44.899 The Lord is my shepherd. Psalm 1835 says, you 00:05:44.899 --> 00:05:49.319 have given me the shield of your salvation. Your 00:05:49.319 --> 00:05:54.879 right hand has held me up. Your gentleness has 00:05:54.879 --> 00:05:59.660 made me great. David wrote that. Let's all just 00:05:59.660 --> 00:06:04.079 say that together. Your gentleness has made me 00:06:04.079 --> 00:06:09.699 great. I love that. That's a powerful, promise. 00:06:10.100 --> 00:06:14.920 The gentle father. The gentle father. Can you 00:06:14.920 --> 00:06:19.040 imagine with as much power as God has if he did 00:06:19.040 --> 00:06:24.040 not also have gentleness? If he did not somehow 00:06:24.040 --> 00:06:28.500 was able to contain all of that power and kind 00:06:28.500 --> 00:06:32.500 of just hold it back, hold it back, hold it back 00:06:32.500 --> 00:06:37.079 so that he could relate with you and me. Can 00:06:37.079 --> 00:06:40.579 you imagine if every time we related with the 00:06:40.579 --> 00:06:45.180 Father, if He unleashed all of His power upon 00:06:45.180 --> 00:06:49.500 us? We would not be able to take it. There's 00:06:49.500 --> 00:06:52.879 nobody that can stand in His presence except 00:06:52.879 --> 00:07:01.759 that He's gentle. God is a gentle God. Isaiah 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:07.470 prophesies of the gentleness of God. He will 00:07:07.470 --> 00:07:11.009 feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather 00:07:11.009 --> 00:07:14.290 the lambs with his arm and carry them in his 00:07:14.290 --> 00:07:20.230 bosom and gently lead those who are with young. 00:07:21.290 --> 00:07:26.870 Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Some verses that 00:07:26.870 --> 00:07:32.290 remind me of God's gentleness. 2 Peter 3 .9 The 00:07:32.290 --> 00:07:36.379 Lord is not slack concerning his promise. as 00:07:36.379 --> 00:07:40.500 some count slackness, but as long -suffering. 00:07:40.540 --> 00:07:45.019 That's a quality that goes with gentleness. Patience. 00:07:46.379 --> 00:07:50.759 Long -suffering. Not willing that any should 00:07:50.759 --> 00:07:55.720 perish, but that all should come to repentance. 00:07:57.459 --> 00:08:00.939 Ezekiel 33, 11 says this. Say to them, as I live, 00:08:01.079 --> 00:08:04.980 says the Lord, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure. 00:08:05.550 --> 00:08:08.569 in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked 00:08:08.569 --> 00:08:14.610 turn from their wicked ways and live. Wow. Turn. 00:08:15.110 --> 00:08:21.870 Turn from your evil ways. And so his gentleness 00:08:21.870 --> 00:08:29.490 calls them to repentance. Jesus tells a parable 00:08:29.490 --> 00:08:32.409 that speaks of the gentleness of the Father. 00:08:33.129 --> 00:08:35.549 If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them 00:08:35.549 --> 00:08:39.649 goes astray, does he not leave the 99 and go 00:08:39.649 --> 00:08:43.409 to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? 00:08:43.990 --> 00:08:47.029 And if he should find it, assuredly I say to 00:08:47.029 --> 00:08:52.549 you, he rejoices more over that sheep than the 00:08:52.549 --> 00:08:57.309 99 that did not go astray. Even so, it is the 00:08:57.309 --> 00:09:00.629 will of your Father who is in heaven that... 00:09:00.970 --> 00:09:05.570 that not one of these little ones should perish. 00:09:06.870 --> 00:09:11.750 Amen? Now when you have gone astray, aren't you 00:09:11.750 --> 00:09:15.809 glad that the Father did not respond with harshness? 00:09:16.610 --> 00:09:20.590 Think about your own life. Think about when you 00:09:20.590 --> 00:09:25.649 went astray. The two of you in here that went 00:09:25.649 --> 00:09:34.980 astray. You know who you are. No, we all have 00:09:34.980 --> 00:09:40.659 a tendency to wander, don't we? Even as believers, 00:09:40.980 --> 00:09:45.220 hopefully in lesser and lesser ways, the longer 00:09:45.220 --> 00:09:48.659 we live for the Lord, hopefully we start learning 00:09:48.659 --> 00:09:52.620 a thing or two, right? But we still have a tendency 00:09:52.620 --> 00:09:58.159 to wander. Sometimes we don't like the path that 00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:01.879 God has placed us on. And so how many of you 00:10:01.879 --> 00:10:06.600 have tried to cut your own path? You've tried 00:10:06.600 --> 00:10:11.159 to make things happen and force them down a certain 00:10:11.159 --> 00:10:15.720 road and make them happen. It does not work. 00:10:16.809 --> 00:10:19.509 And do you know what leads us back to repentance? 00:10:19.629 --> 00:10:22.870 What the New Testament says? The New Testament 00:10:22.870 --> 00:10:26.029 doesn't use the word gentle. The New Testament 00:10:26.029 --> 00:10:30.570 uses the word kindness. It is your kindness, 00:10:30.990 --> 00:10:36.070 Lord, that leads us to repentance. And because 00:10:36.070 --> 00:10:42.649 Jesus is gentle with you, he leads you back from 00:10:42.649 --> 00:10:46.960 your place of straying. Praise the Lord. Praise 00:10:46.960 --> 00:10:52.419 the Lord. His gentleness. Glory to God. Glory 00:10:52.419 --> 00:10:58.039 to God. The Father is in this room right now. 00:10:59.419 --> 00:11:04.399 And He is gentle. And I want to speak just for 00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:10.200 a moment to the fathers in the room. Fathers 00:11:10.200 --> 00:11:15.470 in the room. It is important. That amidst all 00:11:15.470 --> 00:11:18.529 of the other responsibilities that we have as 00:11:18.529 --> 00:11:22.830 fathers, that we reflect our heavenly Father. 00:11:23.690 --> 00:11:27.929 And that this quality of gentleness be something 00:11:27.929 --> 00:11:32.389 that our children experience. Amen? Let me read 00:11:32.389 --> 00:11:35.909 a couple verses to fathers. And you fathers, 00:11:36.070 --> 00:11:42.490 do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring 00:11:42.490 --> 00:11:46.899 them up. In the training and the admonition of 00:11:46.899 --> 00:11:50.919 the Lord. Can you feel the gentleness, the gentle 00:11:50.919 --> 00:11:55.759 heart of the Father in that instruction? Do not 00:11:55.759 --> 00:11:59.059 provoke your children to wrath. Now, I have been 00:11:59.059 --> 00:12:09.899 known to be provoking. I must confess. I must 00:12:09.899 --> 00:12:12.720 confess. Are there any other provokers out there? 00:12:15.180 --> 00:12:19.679 Yeah, we got some honesty going on now. Now, 00:12:19.740 --> 00:12:23.259 the Bible doesn't say don't ever provoke them. 00:12:24.279 --> 00:12:28.720 But you gotta know when to stop. Don't provoke 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:33.019 them to wrath. I believe in the fun of a family, 00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:40.399 amen? But do not provoke them to wrath. Gentleness, 00:12:40.539 --> 00:12:45.179 bring them up. In the training and the admonition 00:12:45.179 --> 00:12:48.200 of the Lord. Here's another one. Fathers says 00:12:48.200 --> 00:12:51.059 it twice. Paul said it to the Ephesians. That 00:12:51.059 --> 00:12:54.600 first verse was Ephesians 6 .4. He says it again 00:12:54.600 --> 00:13:01.840 to the church of Colossians 3 .21. Fathers, do 00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:07.159 not provoke your children. Lest they become discouraged. 00:13:09.299 --> 00:13:14.159 And so. we have to be careful even in correction. 00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:20.399 Amen? Correction can lead to discouragement if 00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:25.220 it's not coupled with gentleness and encouragement. 00:13:25.559 --> 00:13:32.720 Amen? Reflect the heart of gentleness. Thank 00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:37.080 you, Lord. Your fellowship with the Holy Spirit 00:13:37.080 --> 00:13:42.840 will make you gentle. Your fellowship with the 00:13:42.840 --> 00:13:48.659 Holy Spirit will make you gentle. It is true 00:13:48.659 --> 00:13:54.159 that the company that you keep is who you become 00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:58.059 like. That's why we've got to be careful who 00:13:58.059 --> 00:14:01.460 we're friends with, right? Friendship with the 00:14:01.460 --> 00:14:06.340 world is enmity with God. But friendship with 00:14:06.340 --> 00:14:10.580 God is life forevermore. And when you hang out, 00:14:10.700 --> 00:14:14.600 when you fellowship, when you regularly are connecting 00:14:14.600 --> 00:14:18.440 with the Holy Spirit, gentleness becomes a quality 00:14:18.440 --> 00:14:21.639 that grows in you. I already said that it was 00:14:21.639 --> 00:14:23.600 a fruit of the Spirit. Let me read it to you. 00:14:23.639 --> 00:14:27.240 Galatians 5 .22. The fruit of the Spirit is love, 00:14:27.419 --> 00:14:30.480 joy, peace, long -suffering, kindness, goodness, 00:14:30.860 --> 00:14:37.299 faithfulness, gentleness, self -control. Self 00:14:37.299 --> 00:14:40.679 -control. Against such things, there is no law. 00:14:40.980 --> 00:14:44.879 I believe that we as Christians should become 00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:50.279 more and more gentle the longer that we walk 00:14:50.279 --> 00:14:57.500 with Jesus. Praise God. Praise God. Gentleness 00:14:57.500 --> 00:15:02.299 affects how we treat each other. Have you ever 00:15:02.299 --> 00:15:05.519 seen somebody that you know is going the wrong 00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:12.379 direction? Yeah. People in your life that have 00:15:12.379 --> 00:15:18.299 gone the wrong direction. Paul says that when 00:15:18.299 --> 00:15:21.940 we see people go the wrong direction, we have 00:15:21.940 --> 00:15:28.960 a responsibility to go after them. Well, I don't 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:34.720 want to do that, Pastor. I'm a peacemaker. It 00:15:34.720 --> 00:15:40.899 will cause ruffles. No, it will express your 00:15:40.899 --> 00:15:45.100 love for them and your desire to see them in 00:15:45.100 --> 00:15:48.559 heaven and your desire to not see the enemy snatch 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:54.460 away what God has placed in their life. You have 00:15:54.460 --> 00:15:59.100 a responsibility to go after them. Listen to 00:15:59.100 --> 00:16:02.779 what Paul told the Galatian church. Brethren, 00:16:03.360 --> 00:16:08.120 If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who 00:16:08.120 --> 00:16:12.659 are spiritual, now this is not equivalent with 00:16:12.659 --> 00:16:16.740 arrogance, please. We are not saying we are better 00:16:16.740 --> 00:16:21.580 than you. You who are spiritual, restore such 00:16:21.580 --> 00:16:28.539 a one in a spirit of gentleness. Considering 00:16:28.539 --> 00:16:33.820 yourself, lest you also be tempted. That means 00:16:33.820 --> 00:16:36.259 we can't come with pride. We can't come with 00:16:36.259 --> 00:16:38.299 arrogance. In fact, you need to spend a moment 00:16:38.299 --> 00:16:41.159 in prayer and you need to say, God, before I 00:16:41.159 --> 00:16:44.379 go and talk to my brother and sister, clothe 00:16:44.379 --> 00:16:50.779 me with gentleness. Make me more like you, Jesus. 00:16:52.059 --> 00:16:56.139 Make me more like you. Gentleness is a part of 00:16:56.139 --> 00:17:00.879 who we are. What does the gentleness of Christ 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:07.680 mean? The gentleness of Christ means that when 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:12.180 you are at your lowest, Jesus will not crush 00:17:12.180 --> 00:17:18.039 you. Hallelujah. That's good news, friends. When 00:17:18.039 --> 00:17:21.140 you are at your lowest, Jesus will not crush 00:17:21.140 --> 00:17:26.980 you. Matthew 12, 9 says this, Jesus will not 00:17:26.980 --> 00:17:31.390 quarrel nor cry out. nor will anyone hear his 00:17:31.390 --> 00:17:36.130 voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will 00:17:36.130 --> 00:17:42.250 not break, and a smoking flax he will not quench. 00:17:43.230 --> 00:17:48.190 So if you are a bruised reed or a smoking flax, 00:17:48.309 --> 00:17:51.630 if that's the season of life that you are in 00:17:51.630 --> 00:17:54.569 right now, that's the way that you feel about 00:17:54.569 --> 00:17:59.779 your life. I'm just bruised and a smoldering 00:17:59.779 --> 00:18:03.339 wick that's not even producing any flame. It's 00:18:03.339 --> 00:18:07.200 just smoldering and smoking and making the room 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:12.039 smell foul. That's the way my life feels right 00:18:12.039 --> 00:18:17.700 now. Jesus will not break you. And Jesus will 00:18:17.700 --> 00:18:23.950 not snuff you out. But rather, He comes alongside 00:18:23.950 --> 00:18:29.289 of you until you receive justice, until He brings 00:18:29.289 --> 00:18:35.769 you forth to victory in Jesus' name. He wants 00:18:35.769 --> 00:18:39.549 you on the team, even though you're hurting. 00:18:41.650 --> 00:18:45.789 The gentleness of God means that when you are 00:18:45.789 --> 00:18:50.599 at your lowest, Jesus will not crush you. You 00:18:50.599 --> 00:18:57.000 can turn to him. Secondly, it means the gentleness 00:18:57.000 --> 00:19:06.200 of God means that God is knowable. Isaiah 55 00:19:06.200 --> 00:19:11.220 says of the Lord, for my thoughts are not your 00:19:11.220 --> 00:19:15.019 thoughts. Nor are your ways my ways, says the 00:19:15.019 --> 00:19:17.359 Lord, for as the heavens are higher than the 00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:21.119 earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and 00:19:21.119 --> 00:19:28.259 my thoughts than your thoughts. Imagine if God 00:19:28.259 --> 00:19:32.099 stayed in that place, never revealed anything 00:19:32.099 --> 00:19:37.579 to us. What if he never gave us any revelation 00:19:37.579 --> 00:19:43.450 about who he is? What if he never taught us? 00:19:44.089 --> 00:19:50.430 But because he's gentle, God is knowable. He 00:19:50.430 --> 00:19:54.769 makes it so that you and I can have relationship 00:19:54.769 --> 00:20:01.230 with him. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Glory to God. 00:20:02.309 --> 00:20:09.119 He lowers himself. And Jesus did this. He humbled 00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:11.539 himself. Philippians says he did not consider 00:20:11.539 --> 00:20:15.259 equality with God something to be grasped, but 00:20:15.259 --> 00:20:19.400 he humbled himself, made himself nothing, became 00:20:19.400 --> 00:20:25.599 obedient even unto death. Why? So that you and 00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:30.759 I could know him. Amen? God's gentleness means 00:20:30.759 --> 00:20:35.940 that he is knowable. And finally this morning, 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:38.079 some of you cannot believe that I'm already to 00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:44.099 my last point. And it's not even 1130. Oh, hallelujah. 00:20:46.339 --> 00:20:52.200 Finally, the gentleness of God makes him approachable. 00:20:53.380 --> 00:20:58.839 Makes him approachable. Hallelujah. Hebrews says 00:20:58.839 --> 00:21:02.099 that we should come before him with boldness. 00:21:03.210 --> 00:21:05.869 Come into his throne room with boldness that 00:21:05.869 --> 00:21:11.869 we might find help in our time of need. And it 00:21:11.869 --> 00:21:15.410 is Jesus. You remember when the disciples were 00:21:15.410 --> 00:21:17.809 telling the kids, get out of here, don't bother 00:21:17.809 --> 00:21:21.670 the teacher. And what did the gentleness of Christ 00:21:21.670 --> 00:21:26.390 compel him to do? Let the children come to me. 00:21:26.849 --> 00:21:30.970 Let them come to me. I know I'm a rabbi. I know 00:21:30.970 --> 00:21:34.170 this isn't normal for rabbis. But I want the 00:21:34.170 --> 00:21:37.589 kids to come around me. I want to touch them. 00:21:37.789 --> 00:21:41.930 I want to bless them. And the kids had no qualms 00:21:41.930 --> 00:21:45.910 at all about approaching the King of Kings and 00:21:45.910 --> 00:21:49.670 the Lord of Lords because He was approachable 00:21:49.670 --> 00:21:55.630 by everybody. You think that Jesus is only knowable 00:21:55.630 --> 00:21:58.349 and only approachable by the religious people. 00:21:58.990 --> 00:22:04.009 It is not the truth. He's humble. And he invites 00:22:04.009 --> 00:22:07.589 you to come. And I read, I quoted a part from 00:22:07.589 --> 00:22:12.130 Matthew 11, but I want to read verse 29. I want 00:22:12.130 --> 00:22:17.650 to read it to us. I'll back up. Come to me, verse 00:22:17.650 --> 00:22:25.450 28. All who labor. and are heavy laden, and I 00:22:25.450 --> 00:22:30.910 will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and 00:22:30.910 --> 00:22:35.930 learn from me. There he is, knowable, knowable. 00:22:36.109 --> 00:22:42.630 Learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, 00:22:42.730 --> 00:22:50.400 and you will find rest for your souls. For my 00:22:50.400 --> 00:22:57.960 yoke is easy and my burden is light. I want to 00:22:57.960 --> 00:23:01.279 just take a moment this morning and I want to 00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:07.559 thank God for his gentleness. I want to thank 00:23:07.559 --> 00:23:17.799 God for his humility. I want to thank God for 00:23:17.799 --> 00:23:23.369 his patience. I want to thank God for this soft 00:23:23.369 --> 00:23:29.369 side that He has that makes it so that we can 00:23:29.369 --> 00:23:35.569 come to Him. When I was an assistant pastor in 00:23:35.569 --> 00:23:38.869 Galesburg, I got it over and over and over again 00:23:38.869 --> 00:23:42.410 from our young people. They were afraid of me. 00:23:43.930 --> 00:23:49.470 I kind of liked it. I don't know. But I realized, 00:23:50.539 --> 00:23:52.759 They don't want to come and talk to me because 00:23:52.759 --> 00:23:55.160 they're afraid of me. And I don't know if it 00:23:55.160 --> 00:23:58.039 was the position or what or the way I carried 00:23:58.039 --> 00:24:02.880 myself then. I don't know what it was, but they 00:24:02.880 --> 00:24:09.319 had this fear. I wasn't very approachable. I 00:24:09.319 --> 00:24:11.980 don't want to be like that. And I remember not 00:24:11.980 --> 00:24:19.059 just one of them, many of them were like, I don't 00:24:19.059 --> 00:24:22.950 want to be like that. I hope that you don't want 00:24:22.950 --> 00:24:29.210 to be like that. Jesus is not like that. Now 00:24:29.210 --> 00:24:31.730 there are times when he reveals himself that 00:24:31.730 --> 00:24:35.210 all we can do is tremble and fall down at his 00:24:35.210 --> 00:24:39.150 feet as though dead. In all of his glory and 00:24:39.150 --> 00:24:44.289 splendor. But there are so many times when he 00:24:44.289 --> 00:24:53.769 just says, come to me. I am meek. And I am lowly. 00:24:55.809 --> 00:25:03.769 And you can come. You can come. So Jesus, we 00:25:03.769 --> 00:25:07.009 thank you this morning, even as we just pause 00:25:07.009 --> 00:25:11.069 here for a moment here in your presence. And 00:25:11.069 --> 00:25:16.289 we just recognize your humility. We recognize 00:25:16.289 --> 00:25:20.990 your compassion. We recognize your gentleness. 00:25:22.990 --> 00:25:27.029 And we ask God that you would do two things this 00:25:27.029 --> 00:25:29.549 morning. One, that you would help us to experience 00:25:29.549 --> 00:25:34.529 your gentleness. You would help us to experience 00:25:34.529 --> 00:25:40.210 who you are, more of who you are. You are gentle. 00:25:41.569 --> 00:25:47.309 God, when we are like a bruised reed, When we 00:25:47.309 --> 00:25:50.269 don't understand what is happening in our lives 00:25:50.269 --> 00:25:55.230 and we respond in a way that draws back, I thank 00:25:55.230 --> 00:25:58.009 You that You do not draw away from us. You do 00:25:58.009 --> 00:26:02.009 not cut us off. You do not say, I don't want 00:26:02.009 --> 00:26:07.190 You. Lord, even when we fail, even when we sin, 00:26:07.549 --> 00:26:10.910 You don't turn away. We become like that one 00:26:10.910 --> 00:26:15.109 wandering sheep that has gone astray. But Lord, 00:26:15.190 --> 00:26:19.690 it is your gentleness that comes after us. It 00:26:19.690 --> 00:26:22.089 is your kindness that leads us to conviction 00:26:22.089 --> 00:26:29.089 and repentance. And we turn back. And so Lord, 00:26:29.130 --> 00:26:31.730 I pray that your gentleness will just hover over. 00:26:31.970 --> 00:26:35.710 Lord, it's the secret place that Pastor Cammie 00:26:35.710 --> 00:26:37.809 has been talking about through this whole season. 00:26:37.869 --> 00:26:41.789 It is the secret place we find refuge under your 00:26:41.789 --> 00:26:50.349 wing. It is a place of gentleness. God, I pray 00:26:50.349 --> 00:26:54.930 that somebody, even just one in here, will experience 00:26:54.930 --> 00:27:00.069 the gentleness of Christ. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. 00:27:00.170 --> 00:27:02.769 Would you come and play He Loves How He Loves? 00:27:03.289 --> 00:27:09.250 Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. We thank you 00:27:09.250 --> 00:27:13.890 for your gentleness. We thank you for your touch 00:27:13.890 --> 00:27:21.970 in this room right now. We look to you, Jesus. 00:27:23.509 --> 00:27:27.509 God, the second thing I want to pray is that 00:27:27.509 --> 00:27:34.519 you would just keep working on me. Keep working 00:27:34.519 --> 00:27:38.099 on us. God, I just, in preparing this message 00:27:38.099 --> 00:27:41.200 and in preaching this message, see so many rough 00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:46.819 edges in me. And I want to clothe myself in gentleness, 00:27:46.900 --> 00:27:52.440 and I want to clothe myself in humility. God, 00:27:52.559 --> 00:27:57.799 I want to be like you. I want to be like you 00:27:57.799 --> 00:28:05.640 to the people around me, to my family. I want 00:28:05.640 --> 00:28:17.779 to be like you. Jesus, transform my life. Transform 00:28:17.779 --> 00:28:30.579 my life. Make me like Jesus. God, I just freely 00:28:30.579 --> 00:28:37.460 confess my need. I just sense repentance just 00:28:37.460 --> 00:28:41.819 happening around the room right now. Sometimes 00:28:41.819 --> 00:28:44.119 we don't like what we see when we look at our 00:28:44.119 --> 00:28:49.559 own personalities and our own lives. God, we 00:28:49.559 --> 00:28:53.680 just come before you and we lay our lives on 00:28:53.680 --> 00:29:03.799 the altar. We say, God, have your way. Make me 00:29:03.799 --> 00:29:08.500 like Jesus. Make me like Jesus.