ÿþ <html> <head> <title>Welcome to First United Methodist Church, El Dorado, AR,  A Christian s Character; the Spirit s Fruit Part 7 - Gentleness </title><!--- July 4, 2010 --> <meta name="description" content="First United Methodist church, El Dorado, AR, FUMC, F.U.M.C. First Church, First Methodist, Methodist John Wesley, Methodist, United Methodist Youth, United Methodist women" /> <meta name="keywords" content="First United Methodist church, El Dorado, AR, FUMC, F.U.M.C. 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It s found in Galatians 5:22-23, and together these  fruit, or results of the Holy Spirit s work in us, paint a portrait not only of Christ s character but also of any mature Christian s character. <b> For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. </b>We are drawing near the end as today I want us to look at the eighth character quality of a Spirit-filled Christian: gentleness. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> It s hard to imagine a quality more at odds with the values of our culture that this one. We live in a country where those who wrestle their way to the top are esteemed. Whether it s  American Idol or  America s Got Talent,  The Bachelor or  Survivor, the World Cup or the World Series, Americans love winners. Top rewards go to the aggressive and the competitive, but not to the gentle. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> Gentleness is not what coaches cultivate to win state championships. Executives don t send sales people into the field with the admonition to be gentle. Politicians don t win elections and generals don t win wars by promising to lead by gentleness. Radio talk shows don t boost ratings by practicing it. Let s face it, not many people want to be thought of as gentle. Instead, we re taught to be tough and strong. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> Well, friends, gentleness may not be highly valued in our society, but it is clearly highly regarded in God s Kingdom. In Philippians 4:5, Paul instructed Christians to <b> Let your gentleness be evident to all. In Colossians 3:12 he wrote,  Therefore, as God s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. </b> In 1 Timothy 6:11 Paul said, <b>"But you, man of God, flee from all this </b> (that is, the love and pursuit of money),<b>and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. </b> Clearly this thing called  gentleness was something Paul expected to see in Christians. Even feisty Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:15,<b> 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. </b> </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> Now Jim, you may be thinking, gentleness may have been important back then, but is it really that important now? Well, it is if you believe in God or want to be like Christ. I ve been pointing out all summer that each of these fruit is a basic character quality of God Himself, and gentleness is no different. If I had started this sermon by asking you to describe God, I d expect to find words like  loving,  powerful,  forgiving, even  stern, but I d be surprised if many of you included the word  gentle. Yet as I reflect on how God has dealt with me in my life, I see over and over how incredibly gentle God has been, especially in light of my many shortcomings. I suspect that will be true with you as well. God is gentle with me because that is His nature. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> Some of you may not be so sure about that. After all, God doesn t look very gentle in the Old Testament or in the book of Revelation, and you may feel like God is not dealing with you gently in the circumstances of your own life right now. Maybe you are struggling with me saying that God is, by his very nature, gentle. If so, let me talk to you about Jesus instead. Did you know that there is the only place in the Bible where Jesus actually describes his own character? Other writers spend a lot of time describing what Jesus was like, but there is the only place where Jesus actually describes himself. It s found in Matthew 11:28-30. Listen to the words Jesus used. <b> Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. </b> </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> If Jesus self-description of gentleness doesn t fit with your picture of Jesus calling the Pharisees hypocrites, telling the disciples off, flipping the tables of the money-changers in the temple, going head to head with the demons and winning, and if God the Father still doesn t seem  gentle to you, then perhaps what we need to do is re-define what gentleness is. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> Part of the problem is that the Greek word for gentleness is difficult to translate into our language. No single English word captures all its nuances. The root word is praos, which can also be translated as  humble or  meek. Perhaps the phrase that best captures the meaning is  strength under control. The ancient Greeks used the word praos to describe a wild animal that had been tamed. Picture a wild stallion that has been broken and trained to do exactly what its rider tells it to do. It knows when to run with all of its might, and when to hold back. Praos is the picture of power brought under control, strength harnessed to serve. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> That s what the Bible means by gentleness. With that definition, think again about Jesus. When we think of gentleness as  power under control, the picture of Jesus as gentle begins to make great sense. After all, Jesus had the ability to keep his words and emotions under control. He could be stern, even angry at times, but at the appropriate times, and always while in complete control. Jesus could be strong in his condemnation of sin, while at the same time being very loving and compassionate toward sinners themselves. Think of how Jesus dealt with the woman at the well, or for that matter how he acted while on the cross. Jesus had the power to come down from the cross and smite his accusers, but he kept that power under control and used it to sustain him through the grief and the pain for the greater good - our salvation. Jesus always had his words, his actions, his strength under control, allowing him to use those things for good, not hard. Jesus whole life was an example of strength under control. Jesus is our model of gentleness. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> Now it is our time to act like Jesus. When you see people who are caught in sin like the woman at the well, like the woman caught in the act of adultery, or the thief and embezzler Zacchaeus, when you are faced with people who are trying your patience or giving you a hard time, be gentle. Be careful with how you deal with them. Let the Spirit of God help you keep your words, your actions, your thoughts in control. Be gentle, for then you can represent God to them. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> <b>  Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. </b> </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> Friends, it is so much easier to treat others gently when we have experienced the incredible reality of Christ s gentleness in our own lives. Today, during communion, let God s Spirit come into your life and fill you with his love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and now gentleness. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2">Amen. </font></p> <br><br> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> </table> <TABLE width=800 border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <TR bgcolor="#d8d2d8"> <TD width=800 valign="baseline" bgcolor="#d8d2d8" align=right> <!--- beige F2F2E6 ----> <font face="verdana" color="#000000" size="1"> This site designed and maintained by <a href="http://www.hipdogwebdesign.com">HipDog Web Design&reg;</a><br> Copyright 2005. All Rights Reserved.</TD> <TD width="19%">&nbsp;</TD> </TR> </TABLE> </td> </tr> </table> </body> </html>