Fig Trees & Firewood (Gentleness)

Gentleness

Gentleness

Welcome

It’s possible someone in this room or watching online has been put off by Christianity because of poor examples of people who claim to be followers of Christ.

And that’s understandable. It’s also why I’m glad you’re here today because the text we’re preparing to read describes what Christians should be like (which means) You have a right to hold us to these standards because we believe a life unexamined is not worth living. The litmus test is found then in the book of

Galatians 5:22–23 NIV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

But Christian or not, we know it’s not always easy to live up to the image of Christ.

Even Jesus’s disciples who walked with him while he was in the flesh had trouble living up to The Messiah’s expectations, especially gentleness. That’s where we’ll lay our hats today as we near the conclusion of our series, but first let’s pray.

Most are familiar with certain events that summarize the life of Christ to include his divine birth, his sacrificial death, his temporary burial, and of course his resurrection. But we are probably less familiar with the details of his daily struggles with people. By people I mean, his very own disciples. The transfiguration—- the demon possessed boy— the disciples argue which is the greatest

Jesus responds in Luke 9:47-48

Luke 9:47–48 NIV

Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”

but they still don’t get it. We know this because of what Luke tells us in the next few verses.

Luke 9:49–50 NIV

“Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”

Why would you try and stop anyone from doing a good thing? Do you have to be a member of C4 to clean up this neighborhood? We’ll take all the help we can get to spread hope and make Jesus famous.

You don’t need a membership to Be kind and gentle to people who need help. That’s the right thing to do by most people’s standards but the Christian is expected to do even more than that.

A lesson the disciples have yet to learn, but soon will.

Luke 9:51–56 NIV

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them. Then he and his disciples went to another village.

How do you show gentleness to those who reject you or even those hostile towards your mission? Sometimes the best thing to do is simply move on with your life.

It’s easy to do when the stakes are low but when the real pressure is on, surely Jesus doesn’t expect us to just walk away. We have to defend our faith and make a stand for the Kingdom even if it costs our lives. And it will, but not in the way you think.

Fast forward to the night Judas betrayed Jesus and if you’ve ever been to an Easter service you probably know about Peter’s fight to keep Jesus off that old rugged cross. As they reached to arrest the Messiah Peter cuts off one of the temple guard’s ears and probably would have fought to the death of Jesus didn’t stop him.

But Jesus, seeing this man now in pieces, picks up the broken parts and gently puts him back together to show Peter what it looks like to die to our will in order to live for God’s glory.

Through Jesus, we learn how to be gentle even when we have the right to be aggressive. We learn through him that the hostile are God’s children too. Broken, but God’s. Misguided, but still God’s.

They are misinformed and if knowledge is power then that means they are powerless. It means they are fragile. And that means we should handle them with care.

In other words, we should be gentle.

Maybe we should stop arguing with unbelievers on social media and instead gently help them put their broken lives back together. Like Jesus, maybe we should lend them an ear in order to help them hear, not our opinions but what the spirit has to say.

Maybe instead of trying to be intellectually superior, we should strive to be emotionally and spiritually mature enough to pause and see their fragility and learn to handle all of God’s children with care.

But we can’t just do it out there. It must start in here. What would happen if we handled each other with better care. I’m different than you but that doesn’t mean you can handle me however you want.

I may not agree with you, but that doesn’t give me the right to just go off. I must handle our issues with care. You may not like her, but that doesn’t mean you can just ignore her. He may not be able to do a thing for you but you don’t just get to dismiss him because of that.

What would our church look like if we learned to be gentle with each other? Imagine how pleasant this place would feel if every one of us Handled each person with care. If we would simply Love one another like Jesus loves you.

Like a child who has done nothing for you, can you love them just because, be kind to them, just because, be gentle with them, just because it’s what Jesus would do.

Let’s be honest with God and ourselves. We know when we’re being rude. We know when we are acting disrespectfully. We know when we are dishonoring God. But we do it anyway. Like as if he doesn’t honor his own word.

In fact, let me share one more verse with you and I’ll let you go

1 Peter 4:8-11

1 Peter 4:8–11 NIV

8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

So Father, we beg now your forgiveness...