Every day they go around destroying:
• People’s happiness
• People’s lives
• People’s character
It is just a way of life with them! They are a walking disaster.
Illus: They remind me of one of these slimy worms that crawl around and wherever they go they leave behind them a trail of slime.
The Bible teaches the world in which we live we are KNOWN BY THE FRUIT THAT WE BEAR. Matthew 7:16-17 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
And Galatians 5:22-23 teach us what kind of fruit we should be bearing.
Look at 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.
We have already talked about LOVE, JOY, PEACE, AND LONGSUFFERING.
In this sermon we want to talk about the fruit of GENTLENESS.
It is important that we allow the Holy Spirit to teach us how to be gentle, because we come into contact with people every day that are as rough as a corn cob. And they have a way of bringing the worst out of us.
They seem to have a talent for doing the wrong things and saying the wrong thing, for example they might come to us and say…
• With a frown on their face they might say, "Why did you buy such an ugly car?”
• They are the type that come right out and ask, "How much weight have you gained since the last time I saw you?"
• They will say, "You have aged so much that I almost didn’t recognize you!"
Some people remind me of cockroaches! I can’t help but wonder why God put those critters on this earth.
I know one thing; one reason heaven is going to be such a wonderful place to live is because that crowd will not be there making life miserable for everyone!
They should be ashamed of themselves, but they excuse themselves by simply saying.
"It’s not my fault. That’s just the way I am. It’s in my genes. I inherited it from my mother or my father. That’s the way they were, too."
The only thing they are admitting to is that, along with them, their mom and dad were a couple of miserable people also.
If you happen to be such a person, God wants you to allow the Holy Spirit to make you live a gentle life.
As Christians, we cannot turn people to Christ if we are turning them off with our rude disposition.
So that we might have this fruit of the Spirit in our life, let’s look at THREE things, such as:
I. THE DEFINITION OF GENTLENESS
What is "gentleness?"
The NT was originally written in the Greek Language. When the Greeks developed a word, they not only gave it a definition, they almost always illustrated it.
Let’s look at the definition, and I will give you some illustrations also that will help you to understand what Gentleness is.
The Greeks definition of gentleness was "Power under control."
That definition might not make a bit of sense to start with, but remember I told you they not only gave a definition they also illustrated the meaning of a word.
For example:
• Gentleness is like a powerful elephant under the complete control of a trainer.
• Gentleness like raging water that is kept under control by the large dam holding it back.
• Gentleness is like a big bulldozer under the control of a skillful operator.
• Gentleness is like a dangerous disease that could kill millions but is controlled by a vaccine that prevents it from affecting people.
When we think about GENTLENESS, we need to think about:
• Power under control
• Anger under control
• Our emotions under control
We have looked at THE DEFINITION OF GENTLENESS, but the best example of POWER UNDER CONTROL is -
II. THE EXAMPLE OF GENTLENESS
When you think of the life of Jesus, you have to think about a lot of things.
But the thing I want you to think about is; He was the MOST POWERFUL INDIVIDUAL that has ever walked on this earth. He could have destroyed everyone on the face of this earth. BUT YET THIS POWER HE POSSESSED WERE UNDER CONTROL.
Illus: During the war with Iraq, before Saddam Hussein was dethroned, the United States warned him and his army that they were going to release their program called “Shock and Awe!” When the time came, the world had never seen such power released.
Yet we were told by the experts that some of the bombs dropped were not a fourth of the power that could have been released.
Make no mistake about it, the United States is the SUPER POWER of the world and this scares some countries. They would like to see this country brought down to their level.
But you can take all the weapons of this nation and all the weapons of other nations and put them together and they would not be anything compared to the power of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But notice the way HE CONTROLLED THAT POWER as he hung on the cross.
But also we see…
A.HE HAS POWER OVER NATURE.
Look at Mark 4:37-41 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
But we see He also had…
B. HE HAD POWER OVER THE DEVIL
Look at Mark 5:1-16 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.
He had power of NATURE, over Satan but he also had power over…
C. HE HAD POWER OVER DISEASES
Mark 5:15-34 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel. And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea. And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him. And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
He had power over NATURE, OVER THE DEVIL, OVER DISEASES BUT ALSO..
D. HE HAD POWER OVER DEATH
Look at Mark 5:38-42 And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.
The shows us He had power…
1. Nature
2. Devil
3. Sickness
4. Death
What a powerful Savior we serve.
But what it would be like if He being the most powerful individual to walk on this earth was to use that power against us. He is OMNIPRESENT we could not hide from him.
But He is such a gentle Savior we see him standing on the hillside of Jerusalem looking down to the lost people of Jerusalem crying,
Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
He who is so powerful is so gentle.
He had the power to turn the whole world into a vacuum, but instead, while people:
• Cursed Him
• Spit upon Him
• Mocked Him
• Nailed Him to a cross
He prayed, “Father forgive them.”
WHAT A PICTURE OF POWER UNDER CONTROL!!!
We have looked at THE DEFINITION OF GENTLENESS, and THE EXAMPLE OF GENTLENESS. We need to also look at-
III. THE USE OF GENTLENESS
If the lost world is going to see Christ in our life, we have got to allow the Holy Spirit to teach us how to bear the fruit of GENTLENESS!
WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO BE GENTLE IN ALL SITUATIONS
For example, suppose someone you knew fell into some kind of sin. HOW SHOULD YOU DEAL WITH THEM?
Some people would be in their face, telling them how ashamed they ought to be of themselves.
Paul wrote to the Galatian Christians and told them how to handle a situation like this.
Look at Galatians 6:1, we read, “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.”
Paul says Christians should demonstrate POWER UNDER CONTROL, and “restore such an one in the spirit of meekness,” considering the same thing could happen to them also.
There are people who are hurting because they have fallen into sin and the last thing they need is for someone to add to their misery.
The word “restore” is the same thing a doctor does when someone accidentally falls and breaks their leg. The doctor helps them to get the bone back in place and puts a cast on their leg so that they can get over what happened to them.
WHO CAN DO THIS?
Everyone in the church can’t do this. Paul said, “Ye which are spiritual.”
You see, if some folks who have no control over their anger and emotions were to go and try to assist folks who have fallen into sin, the sinner would tell them to GET THEIR OWN LIFE STRAIGHTENED OUT FIRST AND THEN COME AND HELP THEM!
Illus: It is just as the Lord said about going to help someone with a splinter in their eye but they have a beam in their own eye.
We live in a war zone. Do you hear the cries of suffering?
Do you see the mangled lives and relationships - all because they made wrong choices?
• Maybe it is a young lady that had a child out of wedlock
• Maybe it is a young woman that made a bad choice and had an abortion.
• Maybe it is a businessman who made a wrong choice in business and now face criminal charges.
• Maybe it is someone who made wrong moral decisions. Now they find themselves infected with a sexually transmitted disease, and their marriage has been destroyed.
When we see people who are caught in sin -
• Like the woman at the well
• Like the woman caught in the act of adultery
• Like Zacchaeus
God wants us to be gentle! Be careful. Their lives are very fragile.
They could be easily broken. But they can also be restored. So treat them with gentleness. Pick them up and hold them gently. Show them the way to repentance, and the way back to God, because they belong to God. He created them, and He wants them back.
Illus: A picture that will probably always be fixed in our minds from the Oklahoma City tragedy is the one of the fireman holding the body of that baby. We’ll never be able to forget it, will we? What’s touching about that picture is the obvious gentleness with which that big, burly fireman is holding that little baby. You can see in his face, "I must handle this child gently. He’s so fragile. But if I hold him gently, maybe he can be saved."
As a church, God is trying to teach us the lessons of gentleness. We need to be gentle with one another.
Illus: Violet Slaughter’s father died in 1969. Before he died, he gave her an antique pitcher and washbasin that used to be found in guest bedrooms before the turn of the century. The pitcher would be full of water and the guest would pour water into the basin to wash off at night before going to bed.
It was Violet’s most prized possession because it came from her parents’ home. And it became even more precious to her after her father died. She kept it on display in a very special spot in her home.
One day, guests came to visit and they brought with them an unruly dog that jumped around a lot. In doing so, it wrapped its leash around the little table on which this pitcher and basin were displayed, causing the pitcher and basin to fall and break.
It was a tragedy to Violet. Her husband says, "I watched as she took the dust pan and picked up every piece of that broken basin and pitcher. She kept all the pieces. And every evening, she would bring out the ceramic glue and glue pieces back together again."
That’s what God says we need to do as a church.
WE NEED TO REALIZE HOW GENTLE GOD HAS BEEN WITH US.
Illus: There are stores that we walk in and they will have a sign that says, HANDLE WITH CARE Fragile: Handle with Care – How often have these words been put on a shipment to protect the contents of a package.
In an ideal perfect world such boxes would be gently moved from place to place and nothing would ever be damaged. However, in the real world “Fragile: Handle with Care” means nothing to some people.
How many times He could have condemned us, how many times He could have punished us. But gently, time and again, He reaches out and takes us in His arms and holds us close to His heart. He gently leads us.
I want you to realize how important it is for each of us to become a gentle caregiver, and begin to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in our life.
Conclusion:
Can the fruit of Gentleness be seen in your life?
Can RUDENESS be seen in your life? God wants you to allow the Holy Spirit to instill the fruit of GENTLENESS IN YOUR LIFE.
We have looked at:
I. THE DEFINITION OF GENTLENESS
II. THE EXAMPLE OF GENTLENESS
III. THE USE OF GENTLENESS
