I so appreciated this sermon on Gentleness, clarifying what this fruit of the Spirit looks like practically applied and played out in our lives, distinguishing that ‘meekness is not weakness.” Like a tamed lion who may act gentle and submissive but is not devoid of its fierce power and strength. Or a rough, tough, buff Roman soldier tenderly holding his infant child. Out of love he is caring for her with gentleness but try messing with that baby watch his power and strength unleashed and unrestrained!
Sermon link: https://youtu.be/2azSONry8SA
1. Be Gentle at Church
Christ modeled it in Matthew 21
2. Be Gentle in your Job
Exodus 20:24-28, Titus 3, 2 Corinthians 4:4...be gentle with a lost world would so much is pitted against our faith so it can be challenging. The world won’t pat us on the back but Take the edge off their hostility Correct those in your jurisdiction (as boss, manager, teacher, parent, etc) with gentleness
3. Let Gentleness Season my Disapproval
“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Colossians 4:5-6
2 Corinthians 10:1 “...I entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ...humble and bold.”
1 Peter 3
4. Let Gentleness Inform my Anger
A. Proverbs 12:16 “The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.” Gentleness asks “should I be angry? Is this about my glory and preference or God’s glory and Word at stake?”
B. Prov 14:29 “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.” Gentleness says, “ Slow down. Don’t react. Respond thoughtfully.”
C. Proverbs 19:19-20“A man of great wrath will pay the penalty, for if you deliver him, you will only have
to do it again. Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.”
Gentleness asks, “Is this an overreaction? Or an apt, right response?
D.Ecclesiastes 7:9 “Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.”
“with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,...Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,...Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:2, 26, 31-32
Pastor Mike shared analogy used by renowned Matthew Henry to describe right(eous) anger. Wise and smart anger is like a spark of a flint produced by constructive work. It doesn’t last or start a forest fire. Our anger should be aligned with His will.
E. Proverbs 16:32 “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” Gentleness informs anger with thoughtful strategy, to be slow to ignite, ruled by the spirit, disapproving of out of control anger. Gentleness is a stabilizing “under the surface” force in our lives to give an appropriate, tempered response keel of a boat to keep it righted and directed (“even-keeled”) preventing it from being driven and tossed by the winds and waves all around it.
Psalm 115...godliness is to despise wrong but with gentleness.
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