v  What is Gentleness?

v  Why??

v  Examples in the Bible:

-  Jesus

-  Moses

v  How can we be gentle?

v  God's promise

What is Gentleness

v  Not a burden to anyone

- As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. (1 Thessalonians 2:7)

v  Soft or Mild

 -A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1 )

v  Not violent 

-not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not   quarrelsome, not a lover of money. (1 Timothy 3:3 )

v  Meekness

-Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar. (Psalm 138:6)

Why??

v  Lord wants us to be gentle

   - Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:5)

-Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. (1 Peter 3:4)

   -Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12)

Examples in the Bible:

      Jesus:

v  Jesus is gentle (Matthew 11:29)

v  Who is Jesus?

 -  Jesus is Son of God (Matthew 3: 16-17)

*  As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

 -  Jesus also came in to the world as a  human    (Romans 8: 3) 

*  For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by  sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man

v  Jesus at Gethsemane

- Put your sword back in its place, Jesus said to him, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? (Matt 26:52-53)

v  When soldiers mocked Jesus

-They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. (Matt 27: 28-30)

v  Jesus at crucifixion

-  Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34)

Moses

v  Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth. (Numbers 12: 3)

v  Moses and Israelites at Red Sea                (Exodus 14:11-14)

v  When Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses for marrying Cushite wife (Numbers 12)

How can we be gentle

v  We could speak softly

v  Respect others

v  When people ask us why we believe in Jesus, we should answer them gently.

-But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. 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 ( 1 Peter 3:15) Gentleness is very powerful

-      Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone. (Proverbs 25:15)

Mother Teresa

We all know little bit of Mother Teresa. One incident that came a cross my eyes was when Mother Teresa went to a bakery man for bread for her orphan children. As she raised her arms, the bakery man just spit on her hand. Then Mother Teresa told him, I would keep this for me, but give me some bread for my children while holding her another hand. On that spot, the bakery man realized Mother Teresa's gentleness and become a main bread donor for her orphanage.

George Washington

A corporal, at Valley Forge, who was directing three men as they tried to lift a log into place. It was too heavy, but the corporal commanded again and again, "All right, men, one, two, three, lift!" A man in an overcoat came by and said to the corporal, "Why don't you help them?" The corporal pulled himself up to full height and replied, "Sir, I am a corporal." Without a word the man in an overcoat stepped over and with his help the log went easily into place. The man in an overcoat was George Washington.

God's promise

                - He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.                      (Psalm 25:9)

                - The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.                  (Psalm 147.6)

                - For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. (Psalm 149:4)

                -Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.                                         (Matthew 5:5)