The Fruit of the Spirit is Gentleness
PPT 1 Series Title
We began this series a few weeks ago and in our first message I talked about how God has chosen us to bear much fruit, and that we ought to bear the most fruit with the people we are around the most. Family, friends, coworkers. If you only bear fruit around strangers, that you are in some ways a hypocrit.
Last week we talked about 3 ways of gathering spiritual fruit:
Spontaneous generation - the Spirit came mightily upon
Cooperative consumption - fruit that is gently given but that we much choose to manifest
Storehouse supply - Sowing to ourselves, such as hiding the Word in our heart, that we can expect the fruits of the Spirit to rise up in the hour of need.
This week we are going to talk about one of the fruits in particular, but before we do. I have a little sprirtual fruit show and tell for us today.
Different fruits that can remind us of spiritual truths. I pray that as I show and tell these 6 fruits you will always remember the lesson I have given to them.
The first is a mango.
Mango's don't grow here. (Michigan) I'm using this fruit to remind us that just because you have a temper it is no excuse to not manifest the fruit of patience and longsuffering. While it may not grow naturally in you, if you are a Christian it grows naturally in Christ who is in you. So bear some exotic fruit and surprise everyone.
Next I have a persimmon. A persimmon reminds me of Christians who say, "I love you but I don't have to like you." That is like serving an unripened persimmon to someone. Don't ever serve unripened persimmon to anyone, you will foul them for Christ.
Next I have a prune. Prunes are known for the bodily reactions they cause. This fruit is to remind you that some people (everybody say, "some people") are going to act in very unkind ways when you display a fruit of the Spirit in your life. You nay not get a kind reaction when you show kindness. Paul said it this way: to some people we smell like life, and to others we smell like death. (2 Cor. 2:16 my paraphrase)
Lemon. This fruit is a flavoring. Sometimes God wants us to change the flavor of a conversation. If someone cusses near you just a look can change the conversation. We are to be salt, we are to flavor the atmosphere around us.
Asian pear. Reminder to bear fruit with those outside your culture and ethnicity, and racial group.
Lastly my favorite fruit. Chocolate covered raisons. When I was gathering fruits last night at the supermarket, I was wondering what I was going to say about chocolate covered raisons. My original thought was that they didn't have anything to teach I just was using the sermon as an opportunity to buy myself some of them, and that is the truth. But as I was preparing today...This fruit reminds me that for the most part the fruits and gifts of the Spirit are not for the benefit of personal consumption, but are to be given away. Some people only want the fruits and gifts for personal consumption and that is not what they are for. Though there is always some personal benefit God gives gifts so that ALL may profit. (1 Cor 12:7)
PPT 2 Message Title & text
Galations 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith... (NAS)
So today we are going to speak on gentleness.
The greek word translated gentleness (meekness in KJV) is kraystotace and I want to show you how the greeks understood this word, because it is pretty interesting.
The Greeks used this word to describe strong animals that were brought under control. That is a very good description of what the fruit of the Spirit is intended to do: bring the animal in us under control of the Spirit of God.
Xenophon said that horses that work together are more likely to "stand quietly" together.
Aristotle spoke of the "easy-tempered & easily domesticated" elephant.
Plato used this word to describe a mighty & strong beast which could be tamed & fed by a man who learned to handle it.
So the word was used to describe a strong animal, but one who was brought under control by domestication and or training.
- It was used to describe a gentleness of conduct on the part of people who had it in their power and in their animal nature to do otherwise.
That is exactly what the fruits of the Spirit are all about, we act contrary to our animal nature as we are domesticated by the Holy Spirit
Here is a passage from the old testament that teaches us about gentleness
PPT 3 Text Genesis: 33:12-14
Gen 33:12 Then Esau said, "Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you."
Gen 33:13 But he said to him, "My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds which are nursing are a care to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will die.
Gen 33:14 "Please let my lord pass on before his servant; and I will proceed at my leisure, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at Seir."
Let's use Jacob as an example of flowing in the spirit of gentleness. (This next section is from Spurgeon, commenting on Genesis 33:12-14)
How might we overdrive (kjv) the flock?
1. Faultfinding and never commending. Col 3:21
2. Manifesting a spirit of superiority, harshness, and contempt for weaker brethren.
3. Preaching the law without preaching the help and grace of God.
4. Preaching faith withouth standing in prayer.
5. Pointing out failures without pointing out the power of the blood.
Why shouldn't we overdrive the flock
1. Our own experience when we were young teaches us better.
2. We might become weak again, and as we have done unot others it will be done unto us.
3. We love them.
4. The Holy Spirit dwells in them and we must be gentle towards roses in their earliest stages.
They are as just as much a lamb as you are!
They are Christ's sheep, bought with His blood you would be wise to be careful how you treat them!
5. When we have done it to the least (youngest) of them we have done it unto Him.
6. We would be doing satan's work if we overwhelmed them.
7. We are aware of the woes pronounced on them who cause little ones to stumble.
8. Common sense. If we kill the lambs we kill the flock.
Jacob typifies Christ in this passage.
PPT 4 Text
Isa 40:11 Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs, And carry [them] in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing [ewes.]
1. The weak have a special place in His love. Isaiah 40:11
He has a tender heart and any weakness melts Him.
His office is that of a great high priest who ever liveth to make intercession for us.
He has take a great degree of responsibiliity for that lamb.
2. He drives them at a soft pace.
PPT 5 Text, baby eating steak
John 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. He leads us at a pace we can manage.
In Pslams 103:14 it says He remembers our frame that we are but dust. In other words His expectations are high, but understands the frailty that is humanity.
One of my favorite verses in the bible is this one:
PPT 6 Text
2Sa 18:5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, [Deal] gently for my sake with the young man, [even] with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.
David said this after his son chased him out of Jerusalem, raped some of his wives, and tore his kingdom in two! This is a father's love pleading for a wayward son. Deal gently for my sake... Isn't that the word of the Lord to us for everyone who doesn't know Him as Saviour and Lord?
We go back to the beginning of this message where I explained that in the Greek understanding that gentleness is a strong animal whose passions have been brought under control. Every person you meet or have met, there is someone asking God that others would deal gently with them. It is what you want for you and yours, remember that and let us manfest the fruit of the Spirit which is gentleness.
PPT 7 Part of Jesus prayer in John 17
John 17:24 "Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am...
That is the Father heart of God, being expressed in Jesus' prayer. I don't want to lose any. Isn't this the spirit that animated Job of old. We are told that every day, every day he offered prayers and sacrifices on his children's behalf in case they had sinned. Job 1:5... "Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did continually. Thus did Job continually, think about that, and think about how you want God to deal gently with your family, and now understand that God would want us to think about that with everyone we meet.
Close: Is gentleness manifested in your life?
