Peeled - 8

Gentleness

We are examining the Fruit of the Spirit and discovering characteristics of a life changed by Christ.

Here’s what we know about fruit, fruit is never grown overnight, it must be cultivated.

Picture your life like a piece of fruit. When you are peeled is the fruit sweet or sour?

We are peeling back the layers of the Fruit of the Spirit.

Many say “fruits,” however there are not 9 “fruits” of the Spirit, the Fruit of the Spirit has 9 characteristics, 9 layers if you will. One Fruit with 9 attributes.

These Fruit taken together make up the character of Christ.

Some people try to pick and choose their way through the Fruit of the Spirit. Many pray and ask God to “give” them the fruit of the Spirit. Gifts are given. Fruit is cultivated.

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

The Fruit of the Spirit is a description of the character qualities found in Christ.

So far we have examined Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness,  Goodness and Faithfulness.

This week let’s examine Gentleness.

KJV – Meekness

Meekness – 4239 praüs (prah-ooce') ADJ. or 4235 praos (prah’-os), denotes "gentle, mild, meek"

Gentleness 4240 praütēs (prah-oo’-tace)  Noun. describes the quality of not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance.

Praütēs is a quality of gentle friendliness.

In Greek literature praütēs was sometimes used of fake, hypocritical concern for others that is motivated by self-centeredness.

But in the New Testament it is always used of genuine consideration for others.

The Greek language is a precise and expressive language. When they defined a word they also gave the word an illustration.

Praütēs was used in secular Greek writings to describe a soothing wind, a healing medicine, and a colt that had been broken.

In each illustration, there is power under control; for wind can become a storm, too much medicine can kill and a horse can break loose.

To the Greeks, prautes is the definition and word picture of power or strength under control.

Vine’s Expository Dictionary:

“The meaning of praütēs is not readily expressed in English …

Praütēs describes a condition of the mind and heart (Meekness).

Gentleness is more applicable to actions.

Meekness seems to be the better use of the word.

It must be clearly understood that the meekness manifested by the Lord and commended to the believer is the fruit of power.

The common assumption is that when a man is meek it is because he cannot help himself; but the Lord was meek because He had the infinite resources of God at His command.” (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

Meekness is not an easy attribute of the Fruit of the Spirit to cultivate.

It’s easy to have counterfeit Meekness/Gentleness.

Those who are easy going or have no ambition or drive are often labeled as gentle or meek.

Gentleness/Meekness have nothing to do with personality.

A person can have a gentle personality but be far from cultivating the fruit of Gentleness/Meekness.

1. Why Meekness?

Matthew 5:5 NIV “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.”

The Greeks characterized meekness as power under control.

For Spirit filled believers, this means living under the control of the Holy Spirit.

Practically speaking, someone who is meek lives free from malice, bitterness, and any desire for revenge.

The best way to understand meekness is through in the context of relationships because meekness refers to how we treat others.

To be meek, implies that we live in submission to God.

Our submission is not a passive submission that shrugs its shoulders and says, “oh well, I can’t do anything about it anyway.”

Our submission is an active submission, willingly choosing to accept God’s ways without murmuring or complaining.

Meekness is not cowardice, complacency, or the willingness to have peace at any cost.

Meekness is not being wishy-washy or indecisive. It’s not shyness, or being an introvert. It’s definitely not just being nice.

Meekness is controlled strength. Having power that is completely surrendered to God’s control.

Meekness is an attitude of the heart in which all of our energies are brought into perfect control of the Holy Spirit.

The person who is meek accepts that everything comes from God.

They not only accept that everything comes from God, they also live their lives with behaviors that demonstrate and reflect gentleness.

Character always precedes conduct.

What we are determines what we do.

Conduct must flow out of character.

2. What about my rights?

2 Timothy 2:24-26 NKJV And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, ²⁵ in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, ²⁶ and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

Our culture says to step on people’s faces before they step on yours, that is how you get to the top. That’s how you become successful!

The real unspoken system is “do to other people before they get a chance to do to you.”

But God says, “that’s not how it works!”

While the attitude of our culture is all about “Assert Yourself And Take Care Of #1”… Jesus had a better idea. He called all of us to LAY DOWN OUR LIVES” in practical ways everyday for other people.

Laying your life down means putting others first. Things like helping around the house, spending time with your family, sometimes going out of your way to meet someone else’s need. Not popping off at someone when you really want to just let him or her have it.

LAY YOUR LIFE DOWN!

Quote from Blue Like Jazz – “If we are not willing to wake up in the morning and die to ourselves, perhaps we should ask ourselves whether or not we are really following Jesus.” Pg. 185

Jesus says, you are going to be blessed when you do that.

Matthew 5:5 NIV “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.”

The Greek definition of “Blessed” means, “to be characterized by the quality and nature of God.” It means being so full of God that we begin to take on His nature causing His kingdom to be alive in us.

1 John 3:16 NIV This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

John 15:5, 8 NLT “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

⁸ “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”

When we allow the Holy Spirit to cultivate Gentleness in our lives, we are bearing fruit that characterizes the nature and qualities of God.

The Bible teaches that you have the right attitude when you say, “you know what I’m not going to assert my rights.”

Because our society says assert your rights, don’t let people tell you what to do. But Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

That’s why we have to submit to our boss, our parents and teachers, authorities put over us.

Jesus said that the person who wants to be first must learn to be a servant of all.

Jesus says in this culture you’re a blessed person when you swallow your pride and learn to serve other people and put others first.

Remember the Greek word for meekness? Praüs or Praütēs

Watch how Jesus walked and responded, even when He was mistreated and falsely accused.

1 Peter 2:18-25 NLT You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. ¹⁹ For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. ²⁰ Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

²¹ For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

²² He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.

²³ He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.

²⁴ He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

²⁵ Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.

Jesus didn’t work deceitfully.

He didn’t return insults with insults.

Even though He had more right than anyone to do so. (He created all those who were insulting and mistreating Him.)

Jesus simply prayed and kept His mouth shut.

He continually entrusted Himself to God, knowing that God knew about the insults and unjust treatment.

3. Meekness Modeled.

Genesis 50:19-20 NIV But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? ²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Meekness allowed Joseph to look beyond the cruel intentions and murderous plot of his brothers. Meekness enabled Joseph to see the sovereignty of God in all situations.

Because Joseph walked in meekness, he was ready to accept all that God had allowed into His life without bitterness.

As his brothers feared for their lives, for good reason! Joseph was the perfect example of power under control:

The perfect example of meekness is Jesus.

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV “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.”

A yoke was a wooden frame that farmers would put on the back of an ox. The yoke went on the back and around neck, joining two animals together, enabling them to work together to carry the load and pull a cart or plow a field.

When we are yoked with Jesus, guess who pulls the load?

Jesus does.

The best way for us to display meekness to the world around us is to be yoked with Jesus. He is the model of meekness.

He promises us that if we take His yoke, we will find rest. By attaching ourselves to Jesus, we find rest in His gentle and humble heart.

This word picture would have been very familiar to Jesus’ audience. In Biblical times, a young ox was commonly yoked to an older, more experienced ox.

The purpose was so that the older ox could basically “train” the younger ox.

For example, when yoked to an older ox, the younger ox could learn the correct pace at which to work and how to heed the direction of the master.

How does this apply to believers today? By being yoked to Christ, we learn to surrender every area of our lives to His will.

Jesus’ yoke is “easy”.

In Palestine, ox yokes were made of wood.

The ox was purchased and measurements were taken for the yoke.

The yoke was then roughed out and the ox was brought back for a fitting. Then yoke was then adjusted so that it would fit well. The yoke was tailor-made to fit the ox.

Our “yoke” is tailor-made as well. We learn meekness as we are yoked with the Master. As we walk with Jesus, we learn to be like Jesus.