Walking With Gentleness

INTRODUCTION

Tonight, we are looking at the fifth part of the fruit of the Spirit. In the past several weeks, we have looked at walking with love, joy, peace; last week, we looked at walking with longsuffering, and tonight, we are looking at Walking With Gentleness...

We have several lusts of the flesh, but only one fruit of the Spirit…We don’t need to forget that these are all attributes that will all appear in the life of someone walking in the Spirit.

When it comes to Walking With Gentleness, you might be thinking, Are you serious? Do you know what happens to gentle people? They get walked over. They get stepped on. They get laughed at. And most often they're ignored. So thanks but no thanks. I'll take all the others but I'll pass on gentleness.

Why might we have a negative response when we hear the word "gentleness"?

Well, the dictionary defines the word as this: mild, moderate, soft, and delicate. Submissive; to voluntarily assume equality with an inferior.

Ya’ll remember me saying this morning about how the world is upside down?

Jesus says the way up is down, the way to be rich is to be poor; pretty much the opposite of everything the world thinks.

It’s the same way here, you know how to be strong? Be gentle...

Chuck Swindoll writes:

“In our rough and rugged individualism, we think of gentleness as weakness—being soft and virtually spineless. Not so. Gentleness includes such enviable qualities as having strength under control, being calm and peaceful when surrounded by a heated atmosphere, emitting a soothing effect on those who may be angry or otherwise beside themselves, and possessing tact and gracious courtesy that causes others to retain their self esteem and dignity. Instead of losing, the gentle gain; instead of being ripped off and taken advantage of, they come out ahead.”

Now that's something worth striving for. Instead of losing, the gentle gain. Instead of being ripped off and taken advantage of, they come out ahead.

AN ILLUSTRATION OF GENTLENESS

The Lord Himself is the greatest example, or illustration that we have of gentleness...

Psalm 117:1–2 AV

1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. 2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.

You can see an illustration of gentleness in...

The Character of Jesus

Jesus didn’t have to die…He didn’t have to humble Himself and come to this Earth, but thank God, He voluntarily went to the cross!

1 Peter 2:21–24 AV

21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Jesus was gentle in His character...

You can also see an illustration of gentleness in...

The Compassion of Jesus

In His kindness, Jesus offers salvation...

Titus 3:4–7 AV

4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Ephesians 2:7–9 AV

7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

In His kindness, Jesus offers salvation, but...

His kindness leads us to repentance...

Romans 2:4 AV

4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

As I said earlier in the introduction, men often see gentleness, along with goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering as weaknesses, but they are not...

Spurgeon wrote:

“It seems to me that every morning when a man wakes up still impenitent, and finds himself out of hell, the sunlight seems to say, ‘I shine on thee yet another day, as that in this day thou mayest repent.’ When your bed receives you at night I think it seems to say, ‘I will give you another night’s rest, that you may live to turn from your sins and trust in Jesus.’ Every mouthful of bread that comes to the table says, ‘I have to support your body that still you may have space for repentance.’ Every time you open the Bible the pages say, ‘We speak with you that you may repent.’ Every time you hear a sermon, if it be such a sermon as God would have us preach, it pleads with you to turn unto the Lord and live.”

Many people misunderstand the goodness of God towards the wicked. They don’t understand the entire reason for it is to lead them to repentance.

Men should see the goodness of God and understand:

· God has been better to them than they deserve.

· God has shown them kindness when they have ignored Him.

· God has shown them kindness when they have mocked Him.

· God is not a cruel master and they may safely surrender to Him.

· God is perfectly willing to forgive them.

· God should be served out of simple gratitude.

In all this we see an illustration of gentleness…secondly tonight, notice:

AN INFUSION OF GENTLENESS

We are, of course, grateful for the gentleness of God, but the Holy Spirit wants to infuse, or pour this gentleness into our lives!

The Holy Spirit does this...

Through Sensitivity

No matter how many Scriptures we memorize, or how many convictions we have, if we don’t have kindness, none of these things matter. As Christians, we must be sensitive to the needs of others.

Philippians 2:4–5 AV

4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Through Sympathy

Romans 12:15 AV

15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

2 Timothy 2:24–26 AV

24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

Through Spontaneity

Galatians 6:10 AV

10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

We have an illustration and an infusion to gentleness, but we also have:

AN INDUCEMENT TO GENTLENESS

We are induced, or motivated to gentleness by the Holy Spirit:

We Are Empowered By The Holy Spirit

Ephesians 5:18 AV

18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

We ought to have gentleness...

In our homes

“When home is ruled according to God’s Word,” said Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “angels might be asked to stay with us, and they would not find themselves out of their element.”

The trouble is that many homes are not governed by God’s Word—even homes where the members are professing Christians—and the consequences are tragic. Instead of angels being guests in some homes, it seems that demons are the masters. Too many marriages end in the divorce court, and nobody knows how many husbands and wives are emotionally divorced even though they share the same address.

What’s the answer to the problem that is in most homes?

The answer is the Holy Spirit of God! It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can walk in harmony as husbands and wives, parents and children, and employers and employees.

“Be filled with the Spirit” is God’s command, and He expects us to obey.

We ought to have gentleness...

In our community

An unkind spirit in our church toward our community will turn people away from the message of Christ:

Colossians 3:12–13 AV

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

We need to be kind, gentle, to those in need, and even to those who oppose us!

We ought to have gentleness...

In our church

I read an illustration concerning this, that there was one usher speaking to another that said, “We have nothing but good, kind Christians in this church - until you try and seat someone else in their pew.”

Hey, gentleness and kindness is something we should have as children of God. I experienced a few things this past week at work that lead me to walk away from people thinking, “You know? It doesn’t cost a dime to be kind to someone...”

Being empowered by the Holy Spirit will allow us to be kind and gentle.

We Are Encouraged by the Testimony of Jesus

When we think of how Jesus forgave us, we are encouraged and empowered to show kindness and gentleness to others around us:

Ephesians 4:30–32 AV

30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

CONCLUSION

In a society where gentleness and kindness are lacking, we as Christians must display the gentleness of Christ to each other, our families, and our community.

Gentleness, though, will only come as we walk in the Spirit and produce His fruit.