“Watch Your Words!” - (Being Gentle Part 1)

Pastor Jim Lowe III

Sunday Morning,  9:30am Stream

07/10/22 (1st Sunday Message)

 

 

{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}

 

Today’s Title:

“Watch Your Words!” - (Being Gentle Part 1)

 

Opening statement:

 

I saw something on the internet that made me think of this statement:

 

People Can Hate You Because Of Christ, But Don’t Let Them Hate Christ Because Of You

 

We’ll post this a few times as a reminder of what we’re doing here.

 

2 Corinthians 5:20

20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

 

Here’s something to think about:

 

One Of The Most Difficult Things To Do Is To Examine Ourselves

 

So let’s open with an honest prayer:

 

“God, Show Me The Real Me Today”

 

May God show us a well-lit mirror of ourselves today.

 

Galatians 5:22-25

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

 

POSB:

There is the fruit of meekness: it means to be gentle, tender, humble, mild, and considerate, but strongly so. Meekness has the strength to control and discipline, and it does so at the right time.

 

Gentleness is also called “Meekness.”

 

God Is Gentle

 

Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit.

 

 The Spirit of God.

 

It is an attribute of the spirit of God.

 

Apples can’t come from an orange tree.

 

All of these fruits are from God.

 

Gentleness is an attribute of God.

 

Jesus Was Gentle

 

Matthew 11:29

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.

 

Jesus tells us to to LEARN from him.

 

He is gentle and humble.

 

We can find rest in him.

 

And Jesus tells us to be gentle also.

 

Matthew 10:16 (AMP)

16 Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves; be wary and wise as serpents, and be innocent (harmless, guileless, and without falsity) as doves.

 

Be wise as serpents…be harmless as a dove.

 

Jesus Tells Us To Be Wise And Harmless

 

This is in reference to our dealing with other people.

 

God is gentle…

 

Jesus is gentle…

 

Are We Gentle?

 

We prayed for 

 

Or do we THINK we’re gentle when dealing with others?

 

Galatians 5:25

25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

 

Let us not become conceited…

 

Are We Conceited??

 

 excessive pride in ourself??

 

 …vain.

 

Maybe?  Maybe not??

 

Here are 2 others…

 

{only large words for screen}

 

Egotistic

 (having an exaggerated sense of self-importance)

 (“I’m smarter than you.”)

 (Either said or through actions)

Narcissistic

 (having a sense of entitlement)

 (a lack of empathy for others)

 

This may not fully describe us in here…

 

But it MIGHT describe some tendencies we have occasionally.

 

Let’s show an example we know:

 

John 8:1-11

8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

 

The Pharisees and teachers of the law…

 

These were some of the religious people of the time.

 

This could be considered the church if it were today.

 

The Pharisees bring this lady to Jesus saying she’s supposed to die for what she did.

 

THIS WAS THE RULE!

 

They were correct.

 

Well kinda sorta.

 

Leviticus 20:10

10 “ ‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.

 

The adulterer and the adulteress…

 

Isn’t that two people?

 

But they brought one person…the woman.

 

Where was the man?

 

She was CAUGHT IN THE ACT!!

 

If she was caught in the act by herself, she wasn’t committing adultery.

 

They were already choosing what they wanted to do.

 

“They didn’t care about the law…”

 

If so…all parties would be there.

 

But they bring her in the temple to trap Jesus.

 

“You say you’re the son of God…what should we do here?”

 

They weren’t even concerned about this lady.

 

She was used as a method to trap Jesus.

 

It wasn’t about her…

 

It was about the point…

 

“They didn’t care about her…”

 

They just wanted to talk about what she did to someone else…

 

This is VERY similar to how we do today.

 

If this WERE today…would the “church” cause her to hate Christ?

 

We Can’t Be So Focused On What We Think Is Right That We Hurt People In The Process!

 

These teachers and Pharisees called themselves doing the right thing…

 

Too many times we say we are “doing the right thing…” not thinking of how it affects the other person.

 

There are 2 things we do very similar to what they did.

 

1. We Say Things That Can Hurt Others

2. We Do Things That Can Hurt Others

 

Let’s talk about the first one.

 

Reminder:

 

God is gentle

 

Jesus is gentle

 

Scripture tells us to be gentle

 

So how do we begin to be gentle?

 

1. Watch Our Words!

 

Proverbs 18:21

21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

 

Life and DEATH

 

Our Words Can Build Others Or Destroy Them

 

Proverbs 18:21 (MSG)

21 Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.

 

What are our words doing??

 

 Too many times we say “what needs to be said.”

 

 We focus on what the other person NEEDS to hear…and not how we NEED to say it.

 

Life happens for others just like it does for us.

 

Are we helping them or hitting them when they’re down?

Our Words Can Either Bring People To Christ, Or Run Them From Him!

 

2 Corinthians 5:20

20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

 

This says Christ is making his appeal to the world through us.

 

WE need to get on the same page as him.

 

Because WE represent him!

 

The church has been responsible for bringing many people to Christ

 

…but it’s also responsible for running many people away.

 

Many times it’s just as simple as how we talk to one another.

 

How many times are we upset with how someone “talked to us?”

 

There are many people who love God…but they now hate his people.

 

God’s people are called non loving…non caring…conceited…egotistical…

 

WE are the representatives for Christ!

 

WE are supposed to be gentle!!

 

People Can Hate You Because Of Christ, But Don’t Let Them Hate Christ Because Of You

 

We have to watch our words!

 

From the newest Christian to the oldest.

 

From the babe in Christ to the Bishop.

 

Colossians 4:6

6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

 

Some Of The Most Hurtful Things We Can Do Come From Our Words!

 

Proverbs 15:4 (MSG)

4 Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim.

 

Our words can cut deeper than any knife.

 

When you see someone caught in a sin. {the woman in adultery}

 

How do we respond? {like we don’t have our own sins we deal with?}

 

What if they offend us first?

 

We can respond in anger.

 

Sometimes without care of how it sounds.

 

We don’t speak with gentleness!

 

We Have To Remember God Is Working On Us Also!

 

Just because people don’t do the things we do doesn’t make them better or worse.

 

We aren’t better or worse than anyone…

 

God’s grace is available to all…

 

We have to deal with one another GENTLY!

 

Galatians 6:1

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

 

People go through things…

 

People get hurt.

 

People deal with things.

 

Regardless if you think it’s a big deal or not…

 

We can’t take a bat to them.

 

We’re supposed to love them!

 

We have to be careful!

 

Think Before You Speak!

 

Psalm 141:3

3 Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.

 

Psalm 39:1

1 I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence.”

 

Some of us need a stronger muzzle.

 

Proverbs 31:26 (MSG)

 When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say,

 and she always says it kindly.

 

She THINKS about what she says before she says it.

 

Speaking With Wisdom Considers The Other Person First

 

Philippians 2:3

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

 

If we’re to be gentle and humble…we HAVE to think about this from the other side.

 

We Have To Ask Ourselves Will This Hurt Or Harm The Other Person?

 

We have to be gentle…

 

Because people are sensitive

 

and WE represent Christ.

 

People Can Hate You Because Of Christ, But Don’t Let Them Hate Christ Because Of You

 

This raises a question:

 

So Can We Not Say Anything?

 

Of course we can!

 

Ecclesiastes 3:1 - There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: 

 

Ecclesiastes 3:7

7 a time to tear and a time to mend, 

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

 

There is a time when we should speak…

 

There is a time when we should be quiet.

 

And WISDOM will tell us the difference between the two.

 

Wisdom Is Knowing When And When NOT To Say Certain Things!

 

The point is to always RESTORE people.

 

If we aren’t restoring people…

 

What’s the point?

 

Philippians 2:5 (AMP)

5 Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:]

 

Jesus…God himself…

 

Allowed himself to be crucified by his own creation.

 

He GAVE his life for us.

 

GOD HIMSELF…

 

His words??

 

Luke 23:34 (father forgive them…)

 

The bible says our mindset should be like this.

 

This should be our prayer every day:

 

"God Help Me To See Your People The Way You Do”

 

{recap:}

 

We are Ambassadors for Christ…

 

We are to represent him…

 

When we feel like it and when we don’t.

 

We are NO different from anyone.

 

We are not better because we sin differently.

 

God wants us operating in love.

 

He wants us to be gentle with each other.

 

We have to make sure we aren’t being:

arrogant…

 

conceited…

 

egotistical…

 

Because we represent Christ…

 

So WE have to make sure we walk with the fruit of Gentleness.

 

Because others need it.

 

People Can Hate You Because Of Christ, But Don’t Let Them Hate Christ Because Of You

 

Psalm 19:14

14  I hope my words and thoughts please you. Lord, you are my Rock, the one who saves me.

 

God keep us grounded.

 

We are nothing without you.