A Gentle Journey
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Greg Waybright
- Matthew 26:45 & Matthew 11:28
- Synced - A Spirit-Synced Way of Life
- 38 mins 21 secs
- Views: 2423
Family Devotional
Family Devotional Nov. 7-8, 2015
Read Mark 10:13-16 as a Family:
I (Pastor Annie) am about to have a little baby girl. She is due November 20, and we simply cannot WAIT for her to get here. When Baby Girl Neufeld arrives, we are going to celebrate her, hug her and kiss her, and be very, very gentle with her. Have you ever seen or held a newborn baby before? You have to handle them very delicately and very gently—you have to support their neck, help them to eat and sleep, protect them from getting too cold or too hot… We will have to be very gentle with this baby girl! But being gentle doesn’t mean that we aren’t strong. Sometimes we think that being “gentle” means that we ourselves have to be weak or fragile, that we can’t also be tough and strong. But that is the exact opposite of what gentleness is! Gentleness means using my strength to care for and to serve someone else. Being gentle with our baby is going to mean that my husband and I use our muscles and all our strength to make sure she is safe.
In our story today, Jesus used his strength to care for the little children; he was gentle. You see, people in Jesus’ time didn’t treat little kids the same way we treat kids today. Nowadays, people love babies and children, and we celebrate them with care and love. But in Jesus’ day it was different—children weren’t seen as anything special. So for Jesus to welcome the little children, embrace them, and say that the Kingdom of God belongs to them… This was a BIG deal! He used his own power to lift up and care for people (kids) who didn’t have any power.
And that is exactly what Jesus calls us to do. When we are connected to the Spirit, God gives us the Fruit of Gentleness. This means that we can use whatever strength or power or privilege that we have in order to serve others.
Questions:
• How was Jesus gentle in this passage? What is gentleness?
• When is it difficult for you to be gentle?
• What kinds of resources do you have around you?
This could be things like time, money, extra toys, hugs, laughter, good food, a house… Make a list of the things you have that you might be able to use to bless others with.
• How can you use what you have in order to bless someone else this week? Your siblings or parents? Your neighbors? Someone at school?
Daily Devotional
Synced Daily Devotionals Week 8
Gentleness - Week 8
Print Gentleness Daily Devotionals
Monday
Mark 9.38-41
38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.
From time to time I can be pretty defensive. What I mean by this is that sometimes when I’m confronted with something that challenges or stretches me I respond by giving reasons for why I did things or didn’t do things. Normally this is pretty benign. But if I feel like the challenge is unfair or aggressive, my defensiveness can become a bit angry.
So when I read about how Jesus dealt with potential rivals, I am very impressed! Jesus wasn’t defensive at all! In fact, it was his disciples who were defensive – they tried to shut the challenge down!
But Jesus’ response was better. It was gentle. Let’s be honest, if anyone had a right to be angry here it was Jesus. These people were driving out demons in his name after all! But Jesus didn’t get mad. Instead he simply said that whoever is not against us is for us.
These words from Jesus are amazing! He didn’t view these people as a threat. He wasn’t angry that they were using his name. Instead, he looked at the big picture, he took it all in. And in the final analysis, Jesus realized that while he could exercise his strength and power in order to protect his name and his message, he knew that in so doing he might do damage to his name and his message.
Jesus chose gentleness over defensiveness, openness over stinginess, gracefulness over frustration.
Father, as we live lives more and more synced with your Spirit, may the same kind of gentleness, openness, and gracefulness be developed in us. Teach us through your Spirit. Amen.
~Matt Barnes
Tuesday
Matthew 19.13-14
13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.
14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” ~Dr. Suess
“There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children.” ~Nelson Mandela
“Every child you encounter is a divine appointment.” ~Wes Stafford
I think it’s safe to say that the three quotes I’ve shared above resonate with all of us. We agree with them 100%! And the same is true about how Jesus treated and talked about children in Mark 10. We agree with him that children are important and that there is much to be learned from them.
But the truth is that over the course of human history, children have been greatly devalued. In fact, during the first century, when Jesus spoke these words and when Mark wrote them down, children were the least important people in the world. Children weren’t respected, they were often abused, and they were generally neglected. And things were very often worse for little girls, seeing that most families preferred to have boys who could grow up to be men who could carry on their family legacy.
And almost every time I’ve heard this text preached about or read people writing about it, they’ve pointed out these truths. And that’s what they are – truths. It’s true that children were mistreated in the first century and Jesus’ love and concern toward them, his gentleness toward them, was quite a different attitude than that of other members of his culture.
But here’s the sad reality: the situation isn’t much different today. We say that children are important, and to some extent we demonstrate that’s true, but the realities facing children in our world today sometimes paint a different picture.
Each year 7.6 million children die before they reach the age of five, often from preventable causes (such as lack of access to clean water or treatable diseases). It’s estimated that 1.2 million children are exploited by human traffickers each year. And around 168 million children are trapped in dangerous child labor situations all around the world.
Sometimes statistics like these are overwhelming. Other times we may be tempted to write them off as things that happen in the developing world or under oppressive regimes in other countries. But the truth is that children in America face hard times too.
In America 1 in 5 children goes to bed hungry, with the ratio going up to 1 in 3 for African-American and Latino children. There are 3 million reports of child abuse in America every year and it’s estimated that for every reported case there are two that are unreported. And each year over a quarter of a million children enter the foster care system.
Our gentleness toward children has much room to grow. As we are connected to the Spirit, he will encourage us to put our interests aside so that we can pursue the best interests of the most at risk among us, namely children.
So as the Spirit leads us to bend down and treat a child like the human that he or she is, let’s obey. As the Spirit leads us to do something about the facts that children face abuse, food insecurity, and all kinds of other suffering, let’s obey. And as the Spirit leads us to learn something about God, human tenacity, and gentleness through the children in our lives, let’s obey!
~Matt Barnes
Wednesday
Mark 10.13-16
13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.
The scene in this passage is an inviting one, as it shows a very loving and tender side of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, caring for his innocent and vulnerable “lambs.” He is not too busy to take time for them, nor does he have more important things to do than just hold them and care for them. He knows how important it is to place them under His blessing as the Good Shepherd, who will provide for their needs, protect them, and guide them through their life-journey.
This conjures up our own images of “little children” we know and love, who need the blessing of Jesus. Because they are innocent and vulnerable, they need more than what parents or family members alone can provide. Part of our family tradition, has been to have our little children dedicated or blessed at an early age, much as we do at LAC. First and foremost, we are asking the Lord to pour out His love and attention on them and to oversee the development of their lives according to His plans and purposes for them. That they will, at a very early age, “enter into the Kingdom of God.” We don’t want to miss that opportunity to place them intentionally under the care of the Good Shepherd.
At those times of dedication, we, as parents, are also saying that we are very thankful to the Lord for our children and are publicly committing to be responsible to faithfully raise them in His ways and purposes.
As an aside, I believe that as our “little children” grow up, whether we are parents, family members, or close friends, that they still need our continual prayers – prayers asking Jesus to bless them in every aspect of their lives. That responsibility never ends! And, Jesus is never “too busy” to answer those prayers. Many of us have children who are presently not walking with the Lord. Let’s not tire to pray for them to return to the arms of Jesus, who is waiting for them much as the father in the story of the “Prodigal Son” (Luke 15). Let’s remember Jesus’ promise in Mark 10:27, “…all things are possible with God.”
~Roger Bosch
Thursday
Mark 10.41-45
41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The passage above is the end of a story beginning in Mark 10.35 in which James and John ask to be Jesus’ lieutenants, his second and third in command. Jesus very kindly tells them that they don’t know what they are asking, gently redirecting them. When the rest of the disciples caught wind of what James and John had asked, they got angry! And could you blame them?
Maybe the other ten thought that they should be the second or third in command! Maybe some of themn thought that asking Jesus that sort of question was inappropriate and rude. And maybe some of the other ten were simply jealous that James and John had the opportunity to have a private moment with Jesus. Whatever the motivation, it’s easy to see why the rest of the disciples would have been angry.
Jesus, however, wasn’t angry. Earlier in this story he gently redirected James and John. And here, in this part of the story, he uses the silliness of James and John and the indignation of the other disciples as a teaching moment, gently revealing to them a central component of Jesus’ message – namely that serving others is paramount.
And if this was true for Jesus’ first disciples, then certainly it must be true of us today too, right? Of course! As we are led by the Spirit, gentleness is developed in us. We will slowly but surely stop fighting and clawing for every ounce of power and control we can muster. We’ll begin to be gentle instead, which can be defined as using power under control for the benefit of others.
Let’s be honest though, there’s not much harder in our lives as humans than being a servant. It’s truly difficult to put the interests of others first. But this is exactly what Jesus is calling for here – for those who follow him to be servants of all (note the “all” – not just a few, or some, or the deserving…ALL!).
Father, teach us through your Spirit to be gentle. Guide us by your Spirit to serve others, whoever they may be, whatever that have done or left undone. Amen.
~Matt Barnes
Friday
Luke 8.43-48
43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.
When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”
46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”
47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
We all have a story we tell ourselves about our own worth – a story that has been shaped by our families, friends, our ethnicity, culture, the world around us, the way we see ourselves, and the way we believe God sees us.
This woman in Luke 8 was profoundly aware her own unworthiness, as she was culturally deemed “unclean” because of her bleeding disorder. She was not allowed to be in proximity to others, as she would make them unclean by her touch.
I love the response of Jesus here, and the way he gently interacts with this woman who touched his cloak, after boldly calling her to stand before him. He affirmed her worth and gave her more than just physical healing, when he could have responded to her in anger. He helped her change the story she told herself about her worth. Jesus’ strength and holiness is made manifest in his kind and gentle affirmation of the worthiness of the people he interacted with, over and over again.
I always think of my friend Maria when I read this passage. Maria began coming to Teen MOPS when she was 17 and pregnant. As an undocumented immigrant, she was used to staying in the shadows, keeping her head down and identity hidden. Living with her boyfriend’s family, her situation was tenuous at best, and she carried a heavy load of cooking and cleaning for the large extended family. Like the woman in Luke 8, she had told herself a story of her own unworthiness.
When Maria’s daughter was born, she continued to attend Teen MOPS on a weekly basis and gradually began to open up and share more about her life and dreams for the future. One night, the Bible study passage was this story. As we read the account of how the woman is healed when she touches Jesus’ cloak in the crowd, Maria’s eyes came alive. She began to grasp how Jesus treated this woman, and how he saw her as profoundly worthy—and how he responded with kindness, grace, and love in healing her, inside and out.
Maria chose to follow Jesus with her whole heart that evening, moved by an encounter with a Savior who loves us and is gentle with us. Her story changed forever.
Lord, may we follow in your example of gentle care and affirmation of the worth of those we interact with daily. Thank you for your precious example and for the way you love us.
~Nancy Stiles
Saturday
John 4.1-26
1 Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— 2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3 So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
17 “I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
Jesus had to go through Samaria. He had to.
Apparently other Jewish people during Jesus day did not have to go through Samaria. In fact, they acted as if they had to go around it, often going miles out of the way to avoid coming in contact with a dreaded Samarian.
But Jesus had to go through Samaria. Why? Here’s my take: there were two reasons, one for the woman at the well and one for all those who would read this story in the future.
First, Jesus had to go through Samaria for the woman he would meet at the well. Jesus knew that she would be there and despite all the barriers (he being a single Jewish male and she being a Samaritan woman living with a man who wasn’t her husband) that he had to talk with her. And Jesus did talk with her. He treated her like a human being. He talked with her about some deep theological issues as well as some personal ones. Jesus didn’t treat her the way that many in her life might have, as less-than, other, and unvalued. Instead Jesus treated her like a person worthy of his time. Jesus didn’t let her nationality, ethnicity, marital status, or sinfulness prevent him from doing so.
And this leads to the second point: Jesus had to go through Samaria for all of us who would read this story. Jesus knew that we would be plagued by our sinful natures which prompt us at all times to be divisive and judgmental. Jesus had to go through Samaria to show us what a Spirit-synced way of life looks like. And what does it look like? Well for one it looks like treating other human being as valuable because they are created in the image of God and Jesus deemed them worthy enough to die for them! And a Spirit-synced life also looks like gently engaging folks in our world no matter how different from us they may be!
May we all learn to be a bit more like Jesus as we are led by the Spirit!
~Matt Barnes
Study Notes
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Synced: A Detour-Free Journey
Luke 4:1-14a
The fruit of the Spirit is self-control. After I announced last weekend that this would be the next issue we would focus on in our worship services, I had a good number of people come to me and say, “That’s going to be a convicting topic. I think most of us struggle with that piece of the Spirit’s fruit more than any other.” I’ve discovered, over my years of ministry, that many churchgoers start feeling some shame and guilt when we take up the matter of self-control, mainly because we know there are parts of our lives that are not under control. And, every genuine follower of Jesus, what Pastor Ray Ortlund used to call “the company of the committed”, hates to be stuck in a pattern of sin. So, as I begin today, I’m quite sure that there are many here today – maybe everyone at some level – who want to abstain from different temptations in your minds, speech and behavior – but, at the same time, something inside you wants to give in to them so much it hurts. We sometimes feel like the dog trained to keep a biscuit on its nose. It wants to obey its owner – but it desperately wants that biscuit! Is that what self-control is about?
Let me remind you of God’s declaration to you: The fruit of the Spirit is self-control. Through God’s presence and power at work in you, you can be sure that you are in a process of growth that God tells you he will work personally in you to complete. Someday, you will be free from sin. But it’s quite a journey!
What Self-control Is
I looked at a lot of dictionaries and decided that Vocabulary.com provides the most down to earth definition, i.e., “Self-control is the quality that allows you to stop yourself from doing things you want to do but that might not be in your best interest.” So, have you ever had a potato chip or two and pretty soon you’ve eaten the whole bag. You felt terrible and gained two pounds? You promised never to do that again. Then, the next day, you have another bag on your desk – and you want to eat it! Saying no to that bag of chips is an act of self-control. So, according to the dictionary, self-control is your ability to engage in better behavior by telling yourself no. No to the sugar donut in the break room. No to the sarcastic remark in the meeting you didn’t want to attend. No to the website that you shouldn’t visit. But how?
Of course, the term “self-control” is itself a problem. It seems to suggest that we have two selves, one that controls the self and the other that is controlled. And, even more importantly, in our study on the fruit of God’s Spirit in Gal 5:22-23, it is God’s work in us that sets us free us from the “works of the flesh” in 5:19-21. It is precisely “self” control and self-governance that leads to the bondage of sin addictions. This is the very thing that Paul testified to in Rom 7 when he said, “Those things I don’t want to do are the very things I do!” So, “self-control” isn’t the solution to our problems but the cause of them!
Let me try to explain the Bible’s idea of self-control to you. The word translated self-control, “egkrateia”, was usually used for athletes training for the Olympic games. A world-class athlete sets a goal of winning the winner’s prize of a wreath. That all-encompassing goal set the priorities for his/her entire life: He eats but only the right things. He sleeps but only with the right rhythms. Everything he does is carefully chosen with the goal in mind of winning the prize. Keeping his focus on that goal keeps him from distractions and motivates him to do what was in keeping with his convictions and priorities. That’s self-control, i.e., a life in which everything is prioritized by one over-arching goal.
The Apostle Paul said in 1 Cor. 9:24-25, that living a life that is honoring to God is like that:
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
So, that’s the idea you should have in your mind when you think of the term “self-control”. It’s having one all-consuming passion that provides guidance for every other part of your life. For the Olympic athlete, it was winning the Olympic prize. But, Paul says in 1 Cor 9:25 that even a great prize like that will not last. The Olympic crown was a wreath that would biodegrade and be no more.
What is our prize? The over-arching goal of a true Christian’s life is to become complete in Christ, to have every part of our lives, according to Rom 8:29, “conformed to the image of Christ”. These nine parts of the Spirit’s fruit are all parts of what a complete Christ-like, God-glorifying person looks like. Paul said, “That is your destiny. That is what the Spirit of God is going to produce in you.” I believe one reason why “self-control” is last in the list of the Spirit’s fruit is that it provides the goal and focus of a life in which each aspect of that fruit is mature and complete. Self-control always includes a longing to be free of the slavery of what the Bible calls the “works of the flesh”: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh: sexual immorality, impurity, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition… and the like. (from Gal 5:16-21).
Self-control is having one all-consuming passion, i.e., one life-directing destination, that orders every other part of your life. For the follower of Jesus, self-control is characterized by focusing on becoming the kind of person who is complete in Christ, a life increasingly marked by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness. That’s the priority that should direct the whole of your life and keep you on course. Do you long for that?
What Gets Us Out of Sync
In Gal 5, Paul describes the life of becoming complete in Christ as a journey with God’s Spirit. We are to walk with the Spirit, keep in step with the Spirit, or (as we’ve put it in this series) having our lives synced by the Spirit. So, I want you now to think about your life as a long trip. When you travel, if you know you have a set destination, you first establish the best route to get there. And if you know you have a limited amount of time, you set a schedule. You know you have to make stops for food, fuel or even to fulfill some responsibilities you have accepted before the trip – like stopping by to visit a friend or family member. But, you make your plans accordingly and then head out for the destination.
But, sometimes, you are tempted to make stops you don’t need to make. When you do, once you get off the freeway, you sometimes find it hard to get back on. I remember the first time I flew into the Miami airport. I rented a car and began driving to my hotel but I saw some tennis courts along the way that I thought I wanted to check out. But, it was one of those Interstate exits that, once you get off, you cannot find the way back on. One-way streets. Detours. Unmarked roads. Soon, I found myself in one of the most dangerous areas of Miami with no idea how to get out. Our lives are often like that. We know how God would have us to live and we say we want to live for Him, but something comes along and gets us off course.
What kinds of wrong exit ramps might pull us away from a life synced by the Spirit?
Exit Ramp #1: “I Just Feel Like Doing It.” Pic of the many signs
Imagine a road sign on your trip for a doughnut shop or a casino. The world you live in tells you, “If you have a desire for that, who is anybody else to tell you it’s wrong to get off the highway.” So you get off course. But living our lives simply following our feelings and cravings always promises so much but delivers nothing. One of the biggest problems with living that way is that our feelings change – or we have feelings that often contradict one another. For example, at one moment, you crave ice cream but, at the next, you crave being thin.” Which do you follow? Or this: At one moment you deeply crave pleasure with that new person at the office. But, when you get home, you want a strong marriage and family! I could use countless examples here.
Let me tell you this: Live life driven by your feelings and you’ll end up being ripped apart. You’ll be tugged this way and that – and, at the end, Paul says you’ll be trapped. What we need is one all-directing passion under which to order all the others. In one of his many profound observations, St. Augustine said that sin is a matter of disordered loves. There will be many things in this world that you will have a desire for or a passion for. Those feelings will burn hot one day and diminish the next. Being a wise person requires the ability to recognize your own impulsiveness, pause before you make a snap moral decision, and ask, “How does this fit into the life that God would have me to lead?” Self-control means that we have the whole of our lives begin with a passion to please God – and then we follow his commands and priorities.
Our human feelings are messed up by sin and need to be synced by God’s Spirit. When your choices and priorities are ordered under a supreme desire to know and please God, you will begin to find yourself being set free from being blown here and there by every temptation.
Exit Ramp #2: “Just This Once.” Pic of the 7 mile detour
Another major threat against self-control is the whisper in your head that says “It’ll be OK just this time. This time and then never again.” Clay Christensen, a Harvard business professor and world-renowned innovation expert, addresses this brilliantly in his book How Will You Measure Your Life. He writes,
Many of us have convinced ourselves that we are able to break our own personal rules “just this once.” In our minds, we can justify these small choices. If you give in to “just this once,”… you’ll regret where you end up. It’s wiser to hold to your principles 100 percent of the time than it is to hold to them 98 percent of the time. The boundary—your personal moral line—is powerful because you don’t cross it; if you have justified doing it once, there’s nothing to stop you doing it again.
Decide what you stand for. And then stand for it all the time.
Almost each pattern of sin begins with a “just one time” act that we think we will not return to. The sin once engaged in often becomes an addiction. When we face the same temptation again, we fool ourselves into thinking, “Just one more time!” The more “just one more times” you engage in, the more difficult it becomes for you to break its trap.
Exit Ramp #3: “It’s the Way Everyone Is Living.” Pic of the 210 & 134
Sometimes, we get off course not so much by making an intentional decision to give in to temptation but simply by going along with what everyone else is doing. One of the first times I remember driving west along the 210, I was happily driving past the Lake Avenue exit headed on to La Canada only to find myself going past the Burbank exits instead. I didn’t realize that most of the lanes on the 210 turned into the 134. I was just going with the flow of traffic and listening to music and suddenly was on the wrong road.
So, I warn you: You must be alert to the ways of the world. The idea of “self-control” includes a carefulness about being “conformed to the pattern of the world (Rom 12:2)” and a mind consciously and intentionally seeking God’s wisdom and guidance.
So, how do we go about that. What do we learn from Jesus as he faced temptation in Luke 4?
Learning from Jesus: Self-control in the face of severe temptation (Luke 4:1-14a).
When we see how Jesus dealt with the subtle, yet powerful, temptations from the devil at the beginning of his ministry, we see how life in this temptation filled world is to be lived.
Lesson 1: The essential role of God’s Spirit. I simply want you to see that God’s Word tells us that first, Jesus was anointed by the Spirit, and only then did Jesus head out into ministry and the temptations that Satan used to try to get Jesus off the course the Father had given him. We can never fully grasp intellectually how the three persons of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit act interact in their relationship as one God, but we can know this: If Jesus needed the anointing of the Holy Spirit, then we imperfect mortals certainly do. I tell you this: You are not alone in your battles against temptation. So, daily, wake up and acknowledge the presence of the Spirit and live each moment counting on his power.
Lesson 2: The inevitability of temptation. Many well-meaning churchgoers have told me that they believe that they cannot understand why they feel temptation so strongly even though they’ve been Christians for a long time. They somehow have gotten the idea that if they were stronger in their faith, they wouldn’t feel tugs toward sin. Let me tell you as clearly as I can that no one was more spiritually mature than Jesus and still he felt tempted. Jesus’ temptations were very real. How does Heb 4:15 put it? Jesus was “tempted in every way just as we are – but without sin.” Do not be discouraged simply because you are tempted. You are still a mortal human being and very susceptible to sin. The issue is not that you feel tempted. You and I will face temptation as long as we are in this fallen world. The issue is whether you will obey God or give in to the temptation.
Lesson 3: The power of Scripture. You cannot miss the fact that the devil knew the truth and power of Scripture and tried to use it to tempt Jesus – but used it by ripping it out of context and making it mean what it doesn’t mean. Jesus knew the Bible and used it to guide each decision he made. I want to encourage you to become the best student of the bible that you can be. Find a way to memorize Scripture. I like www.biblegateway.com. Each day, there is a new verse at the top of the site. I like to read it and memorize it. When temptation comes, you will find God’s Spirit bringing those verses back to your mind.
Lesson 4: The temptation of misplaced priorities. Have you ever noticed what the devil used to tempt Jesus? Bread. Security. Power. These are not bad things. In fact, they can be wonderful things. Satan knew the maturity of Jesus so he didn’t say, “Jesus, come with me. I know where some opium is.” Satan didn’t say, “I know where some good strips clubs are.” No, Satan used things that, rightly used, are good.
Bread – at a time when Jesus was in a time of committed fasting in honor to the Father. Security – that came not from being in the Father’s will but from some external source. Power – before the sins of the world were atoned for.
One of the most subtle temptations we face as we grow in our lives with God is the ongoing temptation to put good things before God. You might put your business in the wrong place in your life. Work is good – but not if it keeps you from worship and from your family. Sports are good but not if they trump your spiritual commitments. If something has become more important to you than God, then you will become a slave to that thing.
Final Thought: The Spirit’s work and our responsibility
I think one of the hardest things for us when we discuss this matter of self-control is that we know it must be the work of the Spirit in us. True self-control is a work of God, produced in and through us by the Holy Spirit. Until we own that it is received from outside ourselves, rather than whipped up from within, the effort we give to control our own selves will redound to our praise, rather than God’s. There is no hope for victory and growth without the presence and power of God’s Spirit who dwells in you.
At the same time, we clearly have a responsibility to use all the strength and energy God gives us to fight temptation. Listen to how strongly Paul puts it in Col 3:5 -- Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed. So, don’t be deceived into thinking that you can choose to dabble in sin -- and that you’re not responsible for that sin. James put it: “Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. Whatever seed you sow will also be reaped.”
I believe that the best way this matter of God’s work in and through you – and your own responsibility to resist temptation is what we read in Phil 2:12-13 – Bring to completion your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
This journey of life that you are on is to be synced by God’s Spirit. That syncing will always be in keeping with Scripture. Study God’s Word. Learn it. Use it as Jesus did. And that journey is directed by an all-consuming desire to know and become like Christ. Fix your eyes on him. The battle with temptation that Jesus faced was guided by the fact that he was tempted for you! He overcame sin so that he could die as the sinless one in your place – and then give you his Holy Spirit. I leave you will the vision and goal that led to Paul’s growth in self-control. It’s found in Philippians 3:12-14 –
It’s not that I have already obtained all this or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me… One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
{tab-ex=Chinese Translation}
一個溫柔的人生之旅
馬太福音26：45 – 56
溫柔是聖靈的果子。換句話說，當聖靈完成祂在你裏面的工作時，你就會成為一個溫柔的人。你希望如此嗎？在我們這個充斥著越來越多暴力與攻擊的世界上，我不知道還會不會有許多人想要以溫柔著稱。
聽到“溫柔”這個詞語的時候，你首先想到什麽？可能是一陣清風或者是一只小貓。校際團契的簡·赫曼說：“當我在學習聖靈的果子--溫柔的時候，我所能想到的，就是美妙的阿米什的愛情小說裏，一個帶著蘇格蘭帽子的年輕女子跪在陽光明媚的田野裏，風在輕輕地吹著。”這個星期，我問了一些人，當我說到溫柔或溫順的時候，他們腦中浮現的第一個形象是什麽。我得到的答案是小熊維尼，若歌先生， 還有一些人清楚地知道，聖經使用“溫柔”這個詞語的方式，和世人有很大的不同。他們提到德雷薩修女，甘地，艾瑪華森和魔戒中的維果·莫特森。沒有人提到美式橄欖球的中衛，我很難過地說，也沒有一個人提到福音派教會的領袖。
因此今天，我們要來談談溫柔。在我們的文化中，我們不常談到溫柔，也不崇尚溫柔。在一個註重強權和自我主張的世界中，溫柔的人似乎更容易被排擠，被邊緣化和被欺負。但是讓我提醒你，神之所以將聖靈賜給你，是因為要使你更加有耶穌的形象。耶穌如何描述祂自己？“我的心裏柔和謙卑（太11：29）。”聖靈的果子是溫柔。
第一，什麽是溫柔
在加拉太書5：23中翻譯為“溫柔”的詞，在聖經中也常常被翻譯為“溫順”。在登山寶訓中，耶穌談到，溫柔是其中的一福。請註意，耶穌在馬太福音5：5說，“溫柔的人有福了，因為……”因為什麽？祂沒有說，溫柔的人有福了，因為神必保護他們免受這個強權世界的欺淩。沒有。祂說，溫柔的人有福了，因為他們必“承受地土。”因此，根據耶穌的說法，溫柔的人不是軟弱者，而是有許多權柄的人。耶穌所說的“溫柔的人必承受地土”是什麽意思？
耶穌引用了詩篇37：11。讀一讀那篇詩篇，你就會發現，詩人將“溫柔”的人與邪惡的人形成了對比。溫柔的人與抓取權力者和使用權柄和職位謀得私利的人相反。大衛王所描述的惡人，是那些不在乎自己貪婪與自私的行為是否會傷害他人的人們。華爾街日報的研究顯示，美國的首席執行長所賺的錢是普通員工的373倍，我不知道詩人大衛王對此會作何感想。我猜他會說，這個世界沒有什麽改變。
對比來看，大衛在詩篇37篇中所說的“溫柔”的人，是將他的事交托耶和華、並為他人尋求公義的人（37：5-6）。”因此，耶穌在登山寶訓中引用大衛的詩句說：“溫柔的人要承受地土，”祂在提醒我們，神創造人類，是為要讓人類管理全地。當神完成創造的時候，人類再次被賦予責任，管理神一切所造的，然而這一次，人是由聖靈的大能所重新創造的。意思是說，聖經認為，溫柔的人，使用智慧和力量使神的世界恢復良善，而不是為自己謀得私利。
我們也許會看著這個世界說，“但是這樣做沒有用。”似乎自私、粗暴和邪惡的人總是占便宜。大衛王說：“也許過些時候 –-- 但必不多時。”請看他在詩篇37：20所說的，“惡人卻要滅亡。要像草地的華美，他們要消滅，要如煙消滅。”
因此，溫柔這個詞所指的不是一個軟弱的人，而是一個管理神所賜的資源，為要使他人得到利益的人。溫柔的人，從不隱藏他們的恩賜，而是允許神管理和引導他們的生命，為要擴展神在世上的旨意。溫柔是能力與節制的混合體。
我認為，早期基督徒將“溫柔”和拉丁語的“mansetudinem”一同翻譯，字面上的意思是“被掌管使用”。這個字通常用來形容一匹野馬被馴馬者所馴服，他有能力引導那匹強有力的野馬，使它將能力應用於好的目標，用於工作，坐騎或比賽上。這個星期我學到，訓練一匹野馬，並不是“打破馬的意誌”，而是“使它溫柔”。一個馴馬師所使用的方法，是幫助一匹野馬明白，馴馬師是安全的，不可怕的，因此最終它才肯讓他騎。我還學到，在威俄明州，有一個叫做“喬恩媽媽”的項目，那些人一旦學會使馬“溫柔”，他們自己也會變得“溫柔”。這是對溫柔最好的解釋。
早期基督徒相信（我也相信），人類在被造的時候就具有極大的潛能，帶著極大的力量，正如神的形象。然而，當罪進入了世界，我們人類的本質就變得自我中心和野蠻。我們需要神的靈將我們“變得溫柔”。當我們藉著信心將我們的生命交托給耶穌的時候，神的靈就進入我們的生命中。我們將自己交托給聖靈來管理，祂就會使用神所賜給我們的恩賜，引導我們降伏在祂的能力之下，藉著我們將祝福帶給世界。聖靈的果子是溫柔。
第二，溫柔是什麽（馬太福音26：45-57）
耶穌是溫柔的楷模
上周，我們看了耶穌和祂最親近的三個朋友在客西瑪尼園的故事。那是在耶穌被出賣和逮捕之前。我們看到，當主在苦難之中的時候，門徒不能忠心，甚至無法與主一同警醒片刻。相反，我們看到耶穌對天父和對我們是多麽信實，祂走上十架，喝下背負世人罪孽的“苦杯”。在這個故事的結局，耶穌說：“看哪，賣我的人近了。”
今天，我們來看下面一個故事，就是耶穌被賣和被捕的故事。在聖經中，可能沒有其他的經文比這一段更清楚地告訴我們什麽是溫柔了，也就是說，耶穌在馬太福音26：45-57中對那兩個人的方式，比控制住強權和有意為別人帶來利益更能說明什麽是溫柔。在故事的核心，耶穌確信，祂有足夠的權柄折服當場所有的人。在53節中，祂說，“你想我不能求我父，現在為我差遣十二營多天使來嗎？”很顯然，問題不是誰有更大的權力。耶穌擁有一切的權力。問題是，祂要選擇如何來使用祂的權力。
場面之一：耶穌和猶大（26：47-50）
耶穌早已明確知道，猶大要背叛祂。因此，馬太只是簡要介紹了背叛者為要別人認出耶穌而去親吻祂的險惡陰謀。請留意，當他迎接和親吻耶穌之後，耶穌在50節說：“朋友，你來要做的事，就做吧。”
耶穌在這樣的境況下稱猶大為朋友，你不覺得吃驚嗎？若換了你，你會這樣說嗎？不會的，我們大多數人都會說：“你這個叛徒，滾出去。”然而耶穌在這裏所做的，與約翰福音第13章的最後的晚餐中所做的相似。在他說完有一個門徒會背叛祂，祂用面包蘸了酒，親自遞給了背叛者！當耶穌這樣做的時候，祂再次給了猶大一個悔改和與主恢復關系的機會。在馬太福音26章，在門徒背叛祂的時候，祂做了一件在當時的文化中常見的事：當祂稱猶大為“朋友”的時候，祂在向他提供重修關系的機會，同時也在警告他。當我們看到親近的朋友或家人做愚蠢的選擇時，我們可能會這樣做。我們可能會說，“朋友，我是關心你，但是我必須要警告你，你選擇的這條路結局會很慘。”
耶穌在這裏所做的是溫柔的。耶穌非常清楚地知道猶大在做什麽。而且，雖然耶穌知道祂擁有天上、地下一切的權柄，祂甚至對背叛者都沒有做任何魯莽毀壞的事。相反，祂還給背叛祂的人與祂重新和好的機會。
場面之二： 耶穌和彼得(26：51-54)
在許多電影中，這是一個有名的場面。在當政者捉住耶穌的時候，彼得決定用世人的辦法使用權力。他認為一個漁夫拿著一把劍就能打敗士兵，這種想法確實有點滑稽。馬太很好心，他沒有告訴我們是哪個門徒做的這件事，但是約翰在約翰福音18章告訴我們那是彼得。我想我們可以猜出是彼得，因為這種野蠻的行為符合他的個性。我猜他一定在想，“耶穌，你根本不知道在我們的世界裏怎樣爭戰。我知道，我會幫你。”
在他裏面,我可以看到一點我自己的影子。當事情不順利的時候，我嘗試著按照世人的方式去解決，而不是依靠神。我能夠想像得到，我們許多人都會說：“我們來讀一讀哈佛商業評論，並想點辦法為教會獲得更多的資金。”或者，“讓我們找到一個營銷專家，來幫助教會在這裏增長。讓我們來幫幫上帝。”
請仔細聽：在我看來，這個世界上有些地方需要使用武器。在我們的工作中，使用良好的經營原則是非常重要的；利用良好的市場營銷技巧也不是一件壞事，然而我們真正面臨的是屬靈的爭戰。耶穌說，祂將建立祂的教會，陰間的權勢不能勝過祂所建造的。當彼得處在這種情況下時，他需要知道，耶穌正在與比這些士兵更大的敵人交戰。耶穌會戰勝黑暗的國度。
此時的劍是一個錯誤的武器，而正確的武器應是犧牲生命的事奉，是在歷史上唯一無罪的人，心甘情願地為罪人死在十字架上。
這就是溫柔，它由剛強所管理和引導，為要使他人得到益處。你可能還記得，這正是使徒保羅在腓立比書2：3-4所說的教會應該具有的特征：我們每個人都應該看重別人的利益超過自己的利益。具體來說，這正是保羅所寫的耶穌，“雖然耶穌是神，祂並沒有將自己與神同等而作為自己的利益......，而是自己謙卑，存心順服去死 - 以至死在十字架上（腓2：5）！
這就是溫柔：因著愛，耶穌以祂無限的能力帶給我們救恩。神在你我身上所結聖靈的果子是 ---- 溫柔。
以巴拿巴作為例子
我認為我們應該思索的不僅是耶穌，同時也要看到，神的靈也會在某些人身上產生這種溫柔。我覺得最好的例子之一就是使徒行傳中提到的“鼓勵之子”巴拿巴。在這章一開始，我們看到悔改前的掃羅/保羅口吐威嚇兇殺的話，並且殺害主耶穌的信徒。這是歷史上的一個最偉大的轉變的故事，在9:25中，我們發現，正是這個保羅，已經成為耶穌完全忠實的追隨者。然而，在耶路撒冷，許多基督徒並沒有真正相信保羅悔改的故事是真實的。
讓我們看看第26節的故事：當保羅回到耶路撒冷時，他試圖加入門徒們的行列，但他們都怕他，不相信他真的是門徒。惟有巴拿巴接待他，並把他帶到使徒中間。他告訴他們，掃羅在他的旅途中如何看見主，主向他說話，以及保羅如何在大馬士革奉耶穌的名，無畏地宣講福音（使徒行傳9：26-27）。
在耶路撒冷教會，巴拿巴可能是一個最值得信賴的人。他的愛和誠信的生命使他獲得如此信譽。我們在使徒行傳9章和其他經文中都看到，巴拿巴願意用自己所有的恩賜，來祝福別人。在使徒行傳11章中，神使用這個“溫柔”的人，他在安提阿教會獲得外邦信徒的歡迎。在這個大城市裏，許多人接受了這個信仰，然而他們是外邦人。猶太信徒不太能接受這件事。因此，所有在耶路撒冷的猶太人教會，都派出自己最信任的人去察看發生了什麽事。下面就是我們在使徒行傳11：22-24讀到的 - 耶路撒冷教會派巴拿巴到了安提阿。當他到達的時候，看見神的恩典所成就的事，他很高興，並鼓勵所有的人都要全心忠誠於主。他是個被聖靈和信心充滿的好人，因著他，許多人蒙引領歸主。
在這種情況下，我們看到巴拿巴軟弱了嗎？不，我們看到了勇氣和影響力，但卻並非用於自己的利益上，而是用於對他人的祝福和榮耀神。尤其，他願意使用他的好聲譽，來幫助那些不受信任、被教會認為危險或不潔凈的人，使他們重獲接納。這就是溫柔。神藉著聖靈，要在你的生命中作工，使你成為溫柔的人，像耶穌一樣溫柔，像巴拿巴一樣溫柔。聖靈的果子是溫柔。
第三：在溫柔中成長
花一點時間來祈求神，讓祂告訴你，應當如何在你的生活中顯明這種溫柔。你有沒有曾經因著自己的憤怒或不耐煩，而使得你的婚姻，你的家人或與其他人的關系出現不愉快的狀況？在神給我們的每一段關系中，我們都具有巨大的影響力。我們可以藉著我們的言語和行為，給周圍的人帶來歡樂和平安，或者更加擴大與周圍人的破碎的關系。你願不願意讓神告訴你，在家裏、在學校、在工作的環境中，怎樣才能在人際關系中做出正面的影響？求神藉著聖靈使你有能力變得溫柔。
也有可能，你會以不同的方式來應用這個信息。簡·赫曼在校際團契網站上的文章中寫道：“我不是一個天生溫柔的人。我總是亂用神給我的恩賜，尤其在語言上。我渴望使用語言在社會上得到權力，而且多次因著這樣做而失去了朋友。因此，溫柔對我來說，就是不要在言語上冷嘲熱諷。它對你可能有不同的含義。所以我不再使用諷刺的語言。我有意讓這種能力在神的掌控之下，求祂賜給我溫柔的心。
請允許我問你一個問題：你認為你生命中的哪一部分，需要在聖靈的溫柔中成長？有一件事我可以肯定，如果我們的教會真要去接觸那些神從世界各地和各種文化背景中帶到聖蓋博谷地區的人們，我們大家就都將需要我們在巴拿巴身上看到的那種溫柔。我祈求神，藉著祂的聖靈賜給我們那樣鼓勵別人的心，使我們能夠歡迎那些感覺自己是陌生人的人們，讓他們知道，在教會中，他們是我們在基督裏的兄弟姐妹。
因此，溫柔並不是軟弱。全然不是！相反的，聖靈是有能力的。是聖靈的能力，使耶穌從死裏復活！ 使徒保羅知道，像我們這樣自我中心和自我服務的人，要想變成溫柔的人有多麽困難。在羅馬書第七章，保羅自己感到無助，他說：“我真是苦啊，誰能救我脫離這取死的身體呢？”答案就是聖靈的恩賜。請看羅馬書8：11：然而叫耶穌從死裏復活者的靈，若住在你們心裏，那叫基督耶穌從死裏復活的，也必藉著住在你們心裏的聖靈，使你們必死的身體又活過來。
與主同行的這個講道系列的重點，就是神的靈住在你們裏面。溫柔來自於這樣的認知：你本身不是能力的源頭，而是彰顯神能力的器皿。這個星期的信息是，作為神的器皿，你不能自私、或無目的地亂用自己的權力，而是應當為他人祝福，榮耀神的名。聖靈在你裏面所結的果子是溫柔。
榮耀歸給神，
Greg Waybright 博士
主任牧師
祂的荣耀，
格雷格Waybright博士
主任牧師
Greg Waybright • Copyright 2015, Lake Avenue Church
Small Group Resources
Fruit of the Spirit – Gentleness
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Video Questions
- How did gentleness show up in the story from the video?
- How was this gentleness the result of being connected to the Spirit?
Gentleness is strength that is under control and which is used for the benefit of others.
Scripture
Read Mark 10.13-16:
13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.
- How does the fact that Jesus includes a young child in the midst of the disciples demonstrate his gentleness?
- How do the disciples demonstrate the opposite of gentleness in this passage?
General Questions
- How has God shown gentleness toward you?
- How can consistently learning about and worshiping God help us grow to become more and more able to use our strength under control?
- Why are we so tempted to stop being gentle with one another within Christian community?
- How can we spur one another on toward gentleness instead?
- In our lives in the real world – where we work, live, and play – what kind of impact can gentleness have on others, especially those who do not yet know Jesus?
- How can we share the good news of Jesus and his kingdom with more gentleness? Why might this be important?
Challenge
This week, when you are tempted to get angry at someone, even if they deserve it, think of how to be gentle instead. If there is a need for correction, that’s fine; do it gently! Strength under control. Remember, God can do with us sinful people whatever he wants…but he chooses to love us instead!
Prayer
Father, we are so tempted to use all of our energy, time, money, and strength on ourselves. We want our ways, right away. Teach us how to be gentle instead, showing preference for the other above ourselves. Remind us of how you, the Triune God, have shown us gentleness over and over and over again. Help us learn to use what you have gifted us with: grace and meekness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.