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Fruit of the Spirit – Gentleness International Baptist Church – Eindhoven Tim Plona - 14 November 2010 Fruit of the Spirit

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Fruit of the Spirit – Gentleness International Baptist Church – Eindhoven Tim Plona - 14 November 2010 Fruit of the Spirit Fruit of the Spirit – Gentleness International Baptist Church – Eindhoven Tim Plona - 14 November 2010 Fruit of the Spirit Fruit of the Spirit "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) Fruit of the Spirit – A quick review Qualities that Qualities that Qualities that reach out to describe our join us to God those around us inner character Love Patience Faithfulness Joy Kindness Gentleness Peace Goodness Self-control Gentleness ? Gentleness - Greek Original Word: πραΰτης Transliteration: prautés Phonetic Spelling: (prah-oo'-tace) Short Definition: meekness Definition: gentleness Gentleness or Meekness or Humility? New International Version Bible in Basic English …gentleness and self-control. …Gentle behaviour, control Against such things there is no over desires: against such law. there is no law. King James Bible Good News Bible …Meekness, temperance: …humility, and self-control. against such there is no law There is no law against such things as these. New Living Translation …gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Gentleness - Synonyms Gentleness: mildness, calmness, tenderness, placidness, placidity, quietness, softness, lightness, smoothness, mellowness, restfulness, peacefulness, tranquility, From the Latin = Gentilis – of the same people Meekness – Synonyms Meekness: humbleness, quietness, docility, gentleness humility, modesty, mildness timidity, submissiveness From the Old Norse = soft, pliable “meek as a mouse” Very interchangeable Gentleness Meekness Humility QUESTION: Name two persons from the Bible who were called meek, humble or gentle? Answer 1: Jesus Matthew 11:28-30. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Jesus demonstrates gentleness Philippians 2 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Power under control ! Ten Thousand Angels They bound the hands of Jesus in the garden where He prayed; They led Him through the streets in shame. They spat upon the Savior, so pure and free from sin. They said, 'Crucify Him, He's to blame'. Chorus: He could have called ten thousand angels to destroy the world and set Him free. He could have called ten thousand angels, but He died alone for you and me. Jesus as humble and gentle makes sense to us. But what about the other one? QUESTION: Name two persons from the Bible who were called meek, humble or gentle? Answer 2: Moses Numbers 12:3 3 (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) How did Moses get to be called more humble than anyone on the face of the earth? Moses tried to lead on his own: Exodus 2 11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12 Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?” 14 The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.” God asks Moses to lead: Exodus 3 1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father- in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” 4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” How is that Moses was called humble, meek or gentle? He did the following: - Received a commission from God at the burning bush - Confronted pharaoh “Let my people go!” - Performed miracles - Led the Israelites out of Egypt - Crossed the Red Sea on dry land - Received the Law from God himself - Led a nation for 40 years in the desert - Dealt with a contentious grumbling people - Led the nation to the promised land Moses demonstrates Gentleness: Numbers 12 - v. 1 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses - V. 3 - 8 The Lord steps into to lecture Miriam and Aaron - V. 9 – 10 The Lord disciplines them - V. 11 – 12 Aaron begs Moses for mercy - V. 13 – Moses cries to the Lord Power under control ! What did Moses do when Instead, Moses personally attacked? was silent and • He didn’t fight back. allowed the Lord • He didn’t answer his critics. take up his cause. • He didn’t get angry. All he did was to • He didn’t seek revenge. pray for Miriam. • He didn’t argue or try to explain his actions. • He didn’t complain about his unfair treatment. God calls us to be meek and gentle in our own lives Colossians 3:12 includes it as part of the “clothing” of the Christian. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. God calls us to be meek and gentle in our own lives James 1:19-21 tells us that meekness is the opposite of anger and moral filth. 19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. God calls us to be meek and gentle with others ! Titus 3:2 is the attitude we are to have toward all people … to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. God calls us to be meek and gentle with others ! II Timothy 2:24-26 especially with those who oppose us 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, God calls us to be meek and gentle with others ! I Peter 3:1- 6 By a meek and gentle spirit a Christian wife may win her unbelieving husband 1Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4 Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear God calls us to be meek and gentle with others ! 1 Peter 3:15 - Share Christ in gentleness But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, Power under control ! Are you ready to call upon that power ? - When you are persecuted for your faith? - As you walk the path of a Christian? - As you deal with conflict with others? - As you share your faith with others? Remember – you don’t create gentleness, meekness and humility alone They are fruit of the Holy Spirit: Power from God! L a s t l y - two promises to the gentle and meek Isaiah 66:2 2 Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the LORD. “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word. Matthew 5:5 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. .
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