Put On Meekness
I.
Meekness
is required in the walk of love; you can’t be strong in your love walk and weak
in meekness
A. We got
three witnesses that reveal to us the importance of meekness in regards to
walking in love
1.
Colossians
3:13-Put on meekness forbearing and forgiving one another
2.
Ephesians
4:2-We seek meekness connected to forbearing one another in love
3.
Galatians
6:1-Restore one in a fault in the spirit of meekness
B. 1
Corinthians 4:21-There’s a connection between love and the spirit of meekness
II.
2
Corinthians 10:1-Meekness and gentleness go hand in hand
A. Meek
(4235-Gentle, mild, meek, 4236-Gentleness, mildness, meekness)
1.
Webster’s-Meekness-Tender;
Mild of temper; soft; gentle; not easily provoked or irritated; given to
forbearance; Not peevish (crabby, irritable, grumpy, cranky, bad tempered)
B. Gentle
1.
1932-Mildness,
gentleness, fairness, sweet reasonableness
2.
1933-Equitable,
Fair, Mild, Gentle
3.
2261-Affable,
mild, gentle
4.
5544-Moral
goodness, integrity, Benignity-Of Kind disposition, gracious, Kindness
(Galatians 5:22-Gentleness)
5.
Webster’s
a. Mild,
meek; soft; bland; not rough, harsh or severe; as a gentle nature, temper or
disposition; a gentle manner, a gentle address
b. Treating
with mildness; Not violent
c. Tame;
peaceable; not wild, raging or unruly
d. Mildness
of temper; Sweetness of disposition
C. What
about this meek person?
1.
1
Peter 3:4-God values it very much; 1 Timothy 6:11-We are to pursue it; Matthew
11:29, 21:5-It was a mark of Jesus’ character
III.
Titus
3:1-5
A. You
have to remind people as a minster of the Word of God
1.
As
a minister there are many things that you’ll have to remind people of and that
means they’ve already heard it
2.
When
you do have to remind them take your time and don’t’ rush through it or gloss over
it, which you’ll be tempted to do
3.
Just
because you are saying the same thing doesn’t mean they are hearing the same
thing and doesn’t mean they couldn’t get something new this time
B. To
speak evil of no man
1.
This
is a harsh, haughty, talking down about, blaming, critique, judging
a. Reproach-To
charge with a fault in severe language; To upbraid; to suggest blame for
anything
b. Rail-Insolent
language-Proud and haughty with contempt of others
c. Revile-Contemptuous
language-Talking down
2.
Is
this true? Could this be true? We are to speak evil of nobody, no saint, no
sinner, no politician, no family member, no friend, no church member, no famous
person, no rich person, no poor person
a. We are
not supposed to say anything evil about anybody under any circumstance at
anytime
b. MOM:
“If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”
C. Don’t
be brawlers, but gentle, showing meekness to all men
1.
Be
Not Brawlers-Of persons at variance, disputants, strive, contention, a quarrel;
A fight or combat, a battle; Those who engage of a war of words, to wrangle, to
dispute; Not contentious; Abstaining from fighting
a. Contentious-Giving
to angry debate; quarrelsome; apt to contend
2.
Rather
than being a hot rough brawler, be a gentle peacemaker
a. 1 Timothy 3:3-Not given to win, no striker, not greedy
of filthy lucre; but patient (Gentle), not a brawler
b. Gentleness
speaks good things about other people and strives for peace rather than a fight
3.
Be
gentle-Equitable, Fair, Mild, Gentle
a. The
opposite of gentle is froward which is sour, rough,
rude crabbed, snarling, unfair
1)
1 Peter
2:18-Not only to the good and the gentle, but also to the froward
b. Mild-Soft,
smooth, mellow; Tender and gentle in temper or disposition; Kind,
compassionate, merciful, warm, indulgent; Not severe or cruel; Not fierce,
rough or angry; Not sharp, tart, sour or bitter; Tenderness, mercy; Calm; A
mild look as not frowning, not fierce
c. Equitable-The
quality of being just and impartial; Having the disposition to do justice
d. Fair-Open,
frank, honest, just, candid; Honest; honorable,
4.
We
are to demonstrate all meekness to all men (Meekness-Gentleness,
mildness, meekness)
a. Gentleness
Opposite-Hard, harsh, callous, merciless, rough, severe, uncompassionate
b. Mildness
Opposite-Hot, coarse, cold, hard, harsh, severe, unkind
c. Philippians 4:5-Let your moderation be known to all
men:
Moderation is the same word Gentle (Mild,
gentle, fair, equitable)
D. We need
to be fair and just and honest and not hard and harsh and coarse and severe because
we were where they were
1.
How
can I be hard and harsh with them when I’ve been where they’ve been and God was
merciful to me? I got to be fair and to be fair I have to be with them the way
God was with me
2.
Galatians
6:1-In the spirit of meekness considering yourself
3.
Hebrews
5:2-The idea is he is able to be and forbearing to the ignorant and erring
because he himself has been ignorant and erring
4.
MSG-Be
always ready to lend a helping hand.
No insults, no fights. God’s people should be bighearted and courteous.
It wasn’t long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, deposes of sin,
ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our
shoulder, hated and hating back.
But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, steped
in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with
it. He gave us a good bath, and we
came out o fit new people washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit.
E. God
makes it clear that he doesn’t want you and I being sharp and harsh with people
1.
Colossians
3:19-The insinuation is if you are being bitter and harsh and sharp you are not
being loving
a. There
is a connection between our meekness, our gentleness and our love walk
b. Bitter-Exasperate,
indignant, irritated, harsh
c. AMP-Husbands love your wives [be affectionate and
sympathetic with them] and do not be harsh or bitter or resentful toward them
d. Ephesians
6:4-Fathers, do not irritate and provoke your children to anger [do not
exasperate them to resentment], but rear them tenderly in the training and
discipline and the counsel and admonition of the Lord]
2.
2
Timothy 2:24-The servant of the Lord must not strive, but must be gentle unto
all
a. Strive
(Same Greek Word as Titus 3:2, “Brawlers) Contentious-Giving to angry debate;
quarrelsome; apt to contend
b. Gentle-Mild,
Gentle; Affable-Easy of conversation; Courteous; Which invites to conversation
and renders a person accessible; as an affable countenance; Approachable,
gentle, gracious, pleasant
c. Apt to
teach; In meekness instructing; Not judging, not condemning, not brow beating,
but instructing in meekness (gentle, mild)
d. The whole
thing is you want people in fault to repent and get free and you being curt and
short and hard and harsh and sharp with them is not the way to get that done
1)
1 Peter
3:15-Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of
the hope that is in you with meekness
3.
James
3-Wisdom and meekness
a. 13-The
wise person should live his life in meekness which an attribute of the wisdom
of God
b. 14-The
opposite of that would be this bitter harshness
c. 15-This
harshness and bitterness is not wisdom from above
d. 16-This
verse calls that bitterness, that harshness strife
e. 17-The wisdom from above is gentle and to
not be would be to be a hypocrite (AMP)
F. We live
in a world that is so hard and harsh and sharp and biting and as believers we
can’t allow that to get in us or come out of us
1.
Ephesians
4:29-32-It’s this hard, harsh, biting, bitter talk and it doesn’t minster grace
and it’s not kind and tender
a. You
have to be a hypocrite to talk like this because to talk like is to insinuate
that you’ve never missed it or made a mistake
2.
Proverbs
15:4-A gentle tongue with it’s healing power is a tree of life
3.
Isaiah
58:9-One of the things holding them back is speaking harsh words
G. 4-It
wasn’t God’s severity and harshness and hardness and roughness that turned us
around, it was his kindness
1.
The
goal should be to draw people to Jesus and it’s not going to be your severity
that does that, but rather your meekness/gentleness
a. Kindness-Moral
goodness, integrity, Benignity, Kindness, Gentleness, Mild, pleasant as opposed
to harsh, hard, sharp, bitter
b. Benignity-Goodness
of disposition; kindness of nature; graciousness
2.
This
harshness and hardness it pushes people to resentment and away rather than
drawing them to
a. 1
Thessalonians 2:7-8-They were desirous of the people and so they were gentle
because that’s what draws people
b. CEB-Although we could have thrown our weight around as
Christ’s apostles. Instead we were gentle with you like a nursing mother
carrying for her own children
c. PHIL-Our attitude among you was one of tenderness,
rather like that of a devoted nurse among her babies. Because we loved you, it
was a joy to us to give you not only the Gospel of our God, but our very hearts
IV.
Romans
11:22-There is a goodness of God and a severity to God
A. There’s
some stuff that God is very strict on, very stern on, very stiff on and it’s
not just because He likes to be that way, but it’s for our benefit and our good
to wake us up to just how serious the action we are engage in really is
1.
Definitions
a. Goodness-Moral
goodness, integrity, Benignity, Kindness, Gentleness, Mild, pleasant as opposed
to harsh, hard, sharp, bitter
b. Severity-Extreme
strictness, as severity of discipline, as the severity of a reprimand or
reproof
c. Rigor-Stiffness,
sternness
2.
23-Even
in His severity there is goodness and kindness; Even when God is severe He is
fair and honest and just and there is always gentleness and kindness in His
severity because he always gave people opportunity to get it right
3.
1
Corinthians 4:21-The side we see is dependent on what we are doing
B. You can
hold people accountable and discipline them and have standards and be stern and
still be gentle and merciful
1.
As
leaders we should be like God; there should be a severity and goodness with us
when we are leading people
2.
People
can get into a “false-love ditch” where there is not standard, no
accountability, no correction, no discipline and that is not love
V.
When
you are talking about meekness you are talking about an attitude or demeanor
A. Meekness-Mildness
of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness
1.
Disposition-Temperament,
Constitution of the mind and body
2.
Meekness
deals with the way you carry yourself
3.
The
disposition to be gentle, kind, indulgent, even balanced in tempers and
passions, and patient in suffering
B. Rick
Renner-The attitude or demeanor of a person who is forbearing, patient, and
slow to respond to anger; one who remains in control of himself in the face of
insults or injuries
1.
Although
an injurious situation may normally produce a rash or angry outburst, a meek
person is controlled by kindness, gentleness, mildness, or ever friendliness
2.
The
word “meekness” pictures a strong-willed person who has learned to submit his
will to a higher authority; He isn’t weak, he’s controlled; He is one who has
learned how to bring his will under control
3.
The
word meekness was used to describe wild animals that had been become tame
because it correctly conveyed the idea of a wild, fierce will under control
4.
With
meekness you are controlled even in difficult circumstances. Rather than fly
into rage and throw a temper tantrum, you are able to remain silent and keep
your emotions and temper under control.
If you find yourself in a situation that you fiercely believe is wrong,
you are still able to stay silent until the appropriate moment to speak or
until you have been asked your opinion.
You know how to control yourself and your emotions.
5.
Meekness
was also used to denote soothing medication to calm the angry mind. A meek person doesn’t project the
countenance of one who is offended, upset, angry or reactive to insults or
injuries. Instead he is so gentle
and mild in his response that he becomes soothing medicine for the angry upset
soul, or for a troublesome or unsettling situation.
6.
The
flesh loves to rage out of control, but when meekness is being produced in you
it will make you careful and controlled.
C. Meekness
is this ability to maintain a mildness of disposition and gentleness of spirit
no matter what happens
1.
The
fact that the Lord tells us to put this on concerning people should give us a
good idea that things that people do are going to challenge us in this very
area
2.
Proverbs
12:16
a. CEB-Fools reveal their anger right way, but the shrewd
hid their contempt
b. CJB-A fool’s anger is known at once, but a cautious
person slighted conceals his feelings
c. GNT-When a fool is annoyed, he quickly lets it be known
d. GW-When a stubborn fool is irritated, he shows it
immediately
e. MSG-Fools have short fuses and explode all too quickly;
the prudent shrug off insults
f.
NCV-Fools
quickly show they are upset
3.
Ecclesiastes
7:9-Meek people don’t keep anger at the ready
a. MSG-Don’t be quick to fly off
the handle. Anger boomerangs. You
can spot a fool by the lumps on his head.