1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,000 We're talking tonight also, just we're working through the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians chapter 5 2 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:12,920 Paul lists these wonderful qualities that should emerge in our life 3 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:20,000 If we are tending the garden of our soul and if the Holy Spirit is doing its work in our hearts 4 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:25,360 Then these things should emerge these qualities these virtues should come up 5 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:31,560 I'm sure most of us know them by heart by now, but why don't we just try going through them in order? 6 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:36,000 Together and see how we do so the fruit of the Spirit is 7 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:38,640 love 8 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:40,640 joy peace 9 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:43,600 patience kindness 10 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:46,360 goodness 11 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:48,040 dayfulness 12 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:50,040 gentleness 13 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,920 Do we forget one wait, what's that? 14 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:59,520 Wait, we forgot yes, we got gentleness we had nine there was nine. Yeah, right the nine 15 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:05,840 There used to be this campaign that helped people eat more fruit and it was called the five a day campaign 16 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:11,460 It's supposed to have five kinds of fruit every day. So we're doing the nine a day campaign here 17 00:01:11,460 --> 00:01:13,460 We want to have nine kinds of fruit 18 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,960 Tonight we're gonna talk a little bit about this fruit of the Spirit gentleness and 19 00:01:17,960 --> 00:01:23,320 And I want to kind of confess to you that gentleness has not been 20 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:26,160 always in my life 21 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:31,920 The the easiest thing especially when I was a kid some of you have heard this story before and if you have 22 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:37,520 Forgive me. Okay, but there is a fairly infamous story in my household 23 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:40,480 Whereas as a boy, I don't know. I was like 24 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:42,600 eight or ten years old 25 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,480 I don't know my sister was getting on my nerves really badly and 26 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:50,920 and I was in the rec room and she was bugging me and she said something horrible to me 27 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:56,960 So I said something even more horrible back to her and then she said something and I said something and and there used to be 28 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,760 this brick by our fireplace that was loose and 29 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:06,400 And eventually I got so angry at what she had said to me and the thing she was doing to me that 30 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:09,160 I just reached for this loose brick 31 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:14,160 I pulled it out of the fireplace and I held it up as to hit her with it 32 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:19,640 I was I was fuming I was angry she saw in my eyes that I was serious 33 00:02:19,640 --> 00:02:24,560 And so she started running and I was totally like out of control. I was an out of control kid 34 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:27,560 I ran down the hall after her 35 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:31,760 I ran through the kitchen and I so remember it 36 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:39,000 She ran out the back door and as she swang the back door which was glass of course as she swang 37 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:43,520 It shut behind her. I actually launched the brick at her 38 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:44,880 and 39 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:48,960 The brick smashed through the glass door 40 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:53,800 Shattering glass everywhere. Thankfully it did not end up hitting her 41 00:02:54,400 --> 00:03:01,400 But I tell you our relationship got shattered that day too along with that that glass door 42 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:06,400 Thankfully we've we've cleared things up since in the years that have that have passed since then 43 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:09,720 But I just share that with you to talk about 44 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:13,400 Kind of the exact opposite of 45 00:03:14,640 --> 00:03:17,480 gentleness if we want to what is 46 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:21,480 Gentleness when the Bible talks about gentleness. What is it talking about? By the way? 47 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:23,480 I'm not gonna talk real long tonight at all 48 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:31,200 but the one of the best ways to understand gentleness is this is if patience if patience is the ability to 49 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:33,960 endure criticism and 50 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:36,680 opposition without getting angry 51 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:45,000 Then gentleness is the ability to endure criticism and anger without lashing out in aggression 52 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:50,040 It's with it's when all this stuff is coming at you and yet you don't throw the brick 53 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:56,840 Right you you you don't have the harsh and aggressive attitude, you know people get on their nerves and 54 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:03,480 Sometimes it's really easy just to lash out with a horrible word or even lash out physically at them 55 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:09,880 But but gentleness is something different gentleness responds with a softness and 56 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:17,120 I don't think we're born naturally gentle people. I think we have to learn 57 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:21,880 How to be gentle I can't even remember when our kids were young 58 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:29,200 And we would like let's say we actually had some kittens once and I remember when we would give the kittens to the kids 59 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:35,080 And even they were just like three four five years old their first inclination was just to grab the kitten and to like 60 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:39,700 You know hold on to it and we would have to put our hand over their hand and say no no no 61 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:42,560 Gentle we always used to say this 62 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:44,440 Gentle 63 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:49,520 Gentle to kind of show them this is how you handle something like a kitten, right? 64 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:54,160 we all need to learn gentleness we're not born gentle and 65 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:59,120 And it's also true that when we give our lives to Jesus 66 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:07,480 There's a new learning that needs to play take place a new level of gentleness that we are called to and we need 67 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:13,440 To learn it if we don't learn how to be gentle with each other everything goes 68 00:05:15,280 --> 00:05:18,780 Everything goes off the rails really fast because you see we don't actually know 69 00:05:18,780 --> 00:05:24,380 What the person that we're lashing out at is going to do in response in retaliation? 70 00:05:24,620 --> 00:05:29,220 And so if we are aggressive well then they may respond in aggression as well 71 00:05:29,220 --> 00:05:35,660 And of course that only makes things worse and things quickly spiral out of control. So we need to learn we need to learn 72 00:05:36,980 --> 00:05:38,540 gentleness and 73 00:05:38,540 --> 00:05:44,260 Actually, it was one of the first things that the apostle Paul taught this little church in Ephesus 74 00:05:44,860 --> 00:05:47,980 Was how to be gentle with each other? 75 00:05:47,980 --> 00:05:52,980 I've given you a little sheet that has just a few scriptures. I'll be referencing tonight. I think 76 00:05:53,460 --> 00:05:58,500 Everybody got one. There's a stack of them somewhere around here. Maybe if you didn't get one. Yeah 77 00:06:00,420 --> 00:06:01,620 But 78 00:06:01,620 --> 00:06:08,740 When Paul's writing to these Ephesians that very first scripture I put on there. He says hey you guys be completely 79 00:06:09,580 --> 00:06:12,020 humble and gentle be patient 80 00:06:13,140 --> 00:06:17,260 Bearing with one another in love, right? 81 00:06:17,260 --> 00:06:21,140 That's his teaching. That's one of his first teachings. Hey your followers of Jesus now 82 00:06:21,140 --> 00:06:24,580 Let me tell you what that means you need to be gentle with each other 83 00:06:25,860 --> 00:06:28,940 That doesn't sound really radical to us 84 00:06:28,940 --> 00:06:32,380 But you have to understand in the first century 85 00:06:32,900 --> 00:06:40,380 gentleness was not a virtue no way in the world that Paul grew up in in the in the Greco-Roman world 86 00:06:41,180 --> 00:06:46,900 gentleness and humility were not regarded as you know great qualities to have right 87 00:06:46,900 --> 00:06:48,900 Gentleman was actually despised 88 00:06:49,500 --> 00:06:57,540 In the ancient world because real men what were they like they were the heroes the real men were like the warriors the victors the real men 89 00:06:57,540 --> 00:07:01,260 were those who who exercise power and demonstrated 90 00:07:01,700 --> 00:07:05,620 Athleticism and and had dominance with their skill and their abilities right 91 00:07:06,140 --> 00:07:10,540 gentleness was like not a thing that was ever held up as a 92 00:07:11,100 --> 00:07:13,100 quality or a virtue 93 00:07:13,100 --> 00:07:17,620 That sentiment has trickled down even to today 94 00:07:17,620 --> 00:07:24,180 I mean think about some of the Hollywood movies that we see out there, right? It's it's superhero 95 00:07:24,180 --> 00:07:31,820 It's like the comic book character men in capes people who are powerful people who know what to do people who can take care of business 96 00:07:32,140 --> 00:07:34,420 right the biblical virtue of 97 00:07:35,300 --> 00:07:37,300 gentleness is 98 00:07:37,300 --> 00:07:46,340 diametrically opposed to definitely Paul's world and to a large degree to our world as well and yet the Bible says 99 00:07:46,500 --> 00:07:48,500 This is a strength 100 00:07:48,820 --> 00:07:54,260 This is a strength that the Holy Spirit will grow in us 101 00:07:55,300 --> 00:07:56,620 so just 102 00:07:56,620 --> 00:08:02,340 This way of getting at this time. Let's just look at four things. I've got them laid out there on your sheet there 103 00:08:02,340 --> 00:08:06,300 We're gonna look at the gentleness of God as we see it in the Old Testament 104 00:08:06,300 --> 00:08:12,100 We'll look at Jesus gentleness of Paul's gentleness in there and then our gentleness. So let's just start with this first 105 00:08:13,020 --> 00:08:15,860 Think about the gentleness of God in the Old Testament 106 00:08:15,860 --> 00:08:21,980 Most of us actually would say you know my recollection of the Old Testament is whatever the picture of God is it's not a 107 00:08:22,300 --> 00:08:25,900 Gentle God we don't associate the Old Testament God 108 00:08:26,580 --> 00:08:27,980 with 109 00:08:27,980 --> 00:08:32,380 Gentleness even though it's the same God of course. It's there's only one God, right? 110 00:08:32,380 --> 00:08:39,780 Yeah, when you read the Bible you come across these passages. They're just like so obviously we see God's gentleness 111 00:08:40,580 --> 00:08:46,140 Take for example my favorite Psalm and maybe your favorite Psalm the 23rd Psalm 112 00:08:46,780 --> 00:08:50,100 How does it begin? It says the Lord is my 113 00:08:51,260 --> 00:08:54,500 Shepherd now what a gentle image 114 00:08:55,140 --> 00:09:01,780 To describe God the Lord is my shepherd a shepherd who loves and cares for 115 00:09:01,780 --> 00:09:04,420 and provides for his sheep I 116 00:09:05,340 --> 00:09:10,260 Also love the story of Elijah when it's found in first Kings 117 00:09:10,980 --> 00:09:14,420 In first Kings chapter 19 118 00:09:15,100 --> 00:09:21,100 There's the scene where Elijah is running away in fear. He's running for his life from Queen 119 00:09:21,620 --> 00:09:27,340 Jezebel he's in this kind of suicidal depression. He is so ready to end it all 120 00:09:27,340 --> 00:09:31,180 He goes out into the wilderness. He sits under a tree. He wishes he could die 121 00:09:31,180 --> 00:09:35,900 And then you know what God does God comes along and basically he mothers him 122 00:09:36,500 --> 00:09:41,220 God says just sleep have some sleep Elijah and then when when he wakes up 123 00:09:41,220 --> 00:09:48,740 He he gives him some breakfast and Elijah has another nap and and then there's more bread and angels deliver this food to him 124 00:09:48,740 --> 00:09:55,260 It's like it's like God is gently caring for Elijah in his time of need and then and then 125 00:09:55,260 --> 00:10:01,940 When God took him back to Mount Sinai God gives Elijah this amazing kind of 126 00:10:02,340 --> 00:10:06,940 Audiovisual presentation of who he is now I've written this piece of scripture here 127 00:10:06,940 --> 00:10:12,580 It's it's the one from one Kings 19 11 to 13 so so again Elijah is feeling very frustrated 128 00:10:12,580 --> 00:10:15,180 He's feeling down and he needs encouragement 129 00:10:15,180 --> 00:10:18,660 He needs to hear from God and this is what we read the Lord said 130 00:10:18,660 --> 00:10:24,740 Elijah go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord for the Lord is about to pass by oh 131 00:10:25,700 --> 00:10:31,420 Then a great and powerful wind to tore the mountain apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord 132 00:10:32,180 --> 00:10:34,180 But the Lord was not in the wind 133 00:10:35,620 --> 00:10:38,100 And after the wind there was an earthquake 134 00:10:38,820 --> 00:10:40,820 But the Lord was not in the earthquake 135 00:10:41,660 --> 00:10:46,580 And after the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire 136 00:10:46,580 --> 00:10:51,940 And after the fire came a gentle whisper 137 00:10:54,260 --> 00:11:01,880 And when Elijah heard that oh he pulled his cloak over his face and he went out and he stood at the mouth of the cave 138 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:08,260 Because he had heard from God not in the wind not in the earthquake not in the fire 139 00:11:08,260 --> 00:11:13,860 But in the gentle whisper if it were me and I were wanting to hear from God 140 00:11:13,860 --> 00:11:20,780 I would assume God where are you and the wind I would assume God is in the wind and God is in the fire and God is in the earthquake 141 00:11:21,140 --> 00:11:25,700 We make the wrong assumption about God sometimes God is a gentle God 142 00:11:25,700 --> 00:11:31,580 He does not always come to us in fire in fury. He comes to us in gentleness 143 00:11:32,260 --> 00:11:35,300 And as God gently deals with Elijah 144 00:11:35,300 --> 00:11:40,260 He sends him back out on his way and restores him to the work that he has to do 145 00:11:40,260 --> 00:11:45,300 So that's the first thing actually the God of the Old Testament is a God of gentleness 146 00:11:46,020 --> 00:11:53,300 Okay, so let's move on to the second one. Let's talk a bit about Jesus gentleness the the gentle picture of Jesus that we see 147 00:11:53,860 --> 00:11:56,660 In the gospels there is a there's an old hymn 148 00:11:57,220 --> 00:12:00,740 Or I think it's a Sunday school song. It's a gentle Jesus 149 00:12:01,300 --> 00:12:02,900 Meek and mild 150 00:12:02,900 --> 00:12:04,980 I can't remember what the next line is 151 00:12:05,700 --> 00:12:08,420 But I just know that's the first line right gentle Jesus meek and mild 152 00:12:08,420 --> 00:12:10,420 Um, and 153 00:12:10,420 --> 00:12:14,660 When we sing songs like that about Jesus, we are certainly not saying Jesus was a wimp 154 00:12:15,460 --> 00:12:21,220 Or that he was always nice to everybody because you know that Jesus could speak some pretty strong words sometimes 155 00:12:21,940 --> 00:12:23,460 He could be tough 156 00:12:23,460 --> 00:12:31,060 He could deal with wrongdoing and he could speak truthfully and honestly to people in ways that really 157 00:12:31,540 --> 00:12:33,540 Cut through them, right? 158 00:12:33,540 --> 00:12:36,980 But he also did it in a way that was gentle 159 00:12:36,980 --> 00:12:42,900 In fact, there's this famous verse. Let's read this one together. This is the second piece of scripture from Matthew 11 160 00:12:43,460 --> 00:12:46,260 Where Jesus says this he says come to me 161 00:12:47,300 --> 00:12:49,780 All you who are weary and burdened 162 00:12:50,420 --> 00:12:52,420 And I will give you rest 163 00:12:53,140 --> 00:13:00,660 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart 164 00:13:00,660 --> 00:13:08,180 And you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light 165 00:13:09,220 --> 00:13:12,420 Jesus is a gentle Messiah 166 00:13:12,980 --> 00:13:15,380 Another great picture of Jesus gentle 167 00:13:15,380 --> 00:13:18,500 Gentleman gentleness is in that moment in Matthew's gospel 168 00:13:19,060 --> 00:13:24,180 Where all the children want to come to Jesus and the disciples are like no children keep away 169 00:13:24,660 --> 00:13:29,780 This is Jesus. You're you're not worthy to come and hang around him and Jesus says no, no, no, no 170 00:13:29,780 --> 00:13:35,540 No, no, no, no, let the children come to me and I think children know who's a safe person to go to 171 00:13:35,540 --> 00:13:40,980 I think children know who is a gentle presence that and they are drawn to gentle presences 172 00:13:41,380 --> 00:13:46,740 And so when Jesus invites the children when the children want to come to him, I think it speaks to us that 173 00:13:47,140 --> 00:13:51,300 Yeah, Jesus was a gentle Messiah a gentle lord 174 00:13:51,860 --> 00:13:57,060 So we've got the picture of the gentle God in the Old Testament. We've got this gentle Jesus in the gospels 175 00:13:57,060 --> 00:14:01,140 The Apostle Paul who wrote most of the New Testament also 176 00:14:02,260 --> 00:14:10,260 Speaks gently and is obviously working on this fruit of the spirit himself in his own his own life 177 00:14:11,300 --> 00:14:17,060 So for example in his letter to the church in Corinth, this is a different church 178 00:14:18,020 --> 00:14:21,300 He had to write to them about some real difficult things 179 00:14:21,700 --> 00:14:25,380 They were really messing around down there and they needed to be put right 180 00:14:25,380 --> 00:14:31,300 The church in Corinth had been questioning Paul's authority had been questioning his apostleship even 181 00:14:31,860 --> 00:14:37,460 The church in Corinth had been all swept up in all sorts of sinful behaviors. I just wrote a list here 182 00:14:37,460 --> 00:14:43,540 They were quarreling. There was jealousy. There was outbursts of anger factions slander gossip arrogance 183 00:14:43,780 --> 00:14:48,740 Disorder all these things going on down there. So Paul needed to say something to them 184 00:14:48,740 --> 00:14:53,300 And you know, he might have been ready to pick up the brick and say okay guys, that's it 185 00:14:53,300 --> 00:14:58,580 We're done here and he you know lobs that at them, but no no listen to what he says 186 00:14:58,900 --> 00:15:04,020 Second Corinthians 10 verse 1 he he appeals to them, but listen to what he says is by the 187 00:15:04,580 --> 00:15:07,940 humility and gentleness of Christ 188 00:15:08,180 --> 00:15:10,180 I appeal to you 189 00:15:11,220 --> 00:15:12,740 Paul is 190 00:15:12,740 --> 00:15:18,740 You know, he is working against the grain here. This is not what his culture would consider a virtue 191 00:15:18,740 --> 00:15:24,660 Or a strong character trait, but he's saying I'm coming to you gently. I'm coming to you gently. It's kind of revolutionary 192 00:15:25,540 --> 00:15:32,260 That leads us to the to the fourth one. Let's talk about your gentleness and my gentleness 193 00:15:33,460 --> 00:15:36,740 We also live in a culture that often values 194 00:15:36,820 --> 00:15:38,820 aggression 195 00:15:38,820 --> 00:15:40,820 indominance 196 00:15:40,820 --> 00:15:45,620 And so choosing to be people of gentleness is actually a very powerful testimony 197 00:15:45,620 --> 00:15:49,620 It's one of the most powerful things we can do to show that 198 00:15:50,180 --> 00:15:53,940 The Holy Spirit is doing its transformative work in our lives. Okay 199 00:15:54,660 --> 00:15:58,500 Paul writes this he says this he says let your gentleness 200 00:15:58,740 --> 00:16:02,740 Be evident to all the Lord is near 201 00:16:05,540 --> 00:16:07,540 I just imagine that early church 202 00:16:07,700 --> 00:16:13,540 You know in that culture this group of gentle minded gentlehearted Christians 203 00:16:13,540 --> 00:16:17,540 Just revolutionizing the way that people treated each other 204 00:16:18,260 --> 00:16:22,820 We too I think are called to a similar kind of revolution in our own families 205 00:16:23,300 --> 00:16:25,300 In our own church 206 00:16:25,300 --> 00:16:27,300 In our communities 207 00:16:27,300 --> 00:16:33,140 In our world and so just to end here. Let's just think about where we go. What do we do? 208 00:16:33,700 --> 00:16:35,700 In the week ahead 209 00:16:35,700 --> 00:16:40,260 Why don't you and me we actively look for opportunities where we can demonstrate 210 00:16:40,260 --> 00:16:46,660 Gentleness this might just be because we we take time to offer a listening ear to someone 211 00:16:47,060 --> 00:16:50,900 Or we speak a word of encouragement to someone who really needs to hear it 212 00:16:51,140 --> 00:16:54,500 Or or we respond with just a calmness and a peace 213 00:16:55,140 --> 00:16:58,420 In a really tense situation. We bring a gentle presence 214 00:16:58,980 --> 00:17:00,180 into 215 00:17:00,180 --> 00:17:02,180 uh into the tension 216 00:17:02,180 --> 00:17:05,220 And as we do this just always remember 217 00:17:05,860 --> 00:17:07,860 Always remember 218 00:17:07,860 --> 00:17:14,660 I'm just as flawed and we're just as tempted as anyone else therefore when we see 219 00:17:15,620 --> 00:17:21,620 Someone make a mistake and it gets on our nerves when we see our kids drop something and shatter the bowl over the floor 220 00:17:21,620 --> 00:17:26,500 When when our spouse loses the car keys again or or someone that 221 00:17:27,220 --> 00:17:32,260 Said they would do something forgets to keep their promise. Just remember could just as easily have been you 222 00:17:33,060 --> 00:17:35,060 Just could have easily just have been me 223 00:17:35,060 --> 00:17:37,780 And so knowing that with that humility 224 00:17:38,420 --> 00:17:41,620 I'm I don't respond with anger and irritation 225 00:17:42,980 --> 00:17:46,820 But out of humility and self-awareness of my own shortcomings 226 00:17:47,380 --> 00:17:50,980 I can respond with gentleness the gentleness of God the gentleness of Jesus 227 00:17:51,860 --> 00:17:53,860 The gentleness of Paul 228 00:17:53,860 --> 00:17:55,860 The fruit of the Holy Spirit 229 00:17:57,060 --> 00:17:59,060 Amen 230 00:17:59,060 --> 00:18:05,060 Amen amen