Josh McGuire - Learning Gentleness | Austin CFC | 2022-03-06
Summary
The message explores gentleness as a key characteristic of true wisdom, drawing from James 3:17 and Galatians 5:23. The speaker emphasizes that genuine understanding is demonstrated not just by knowledge, but by gentle good behavior. Ultimately, he connects this to Jesus' invitation to the weary, suggesting that learning gentleness—a quality modeled by Christ—is a necessary part of finding rest and discipleship.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Wisdom from above is gentleReading from James 3, the speaker highlights that true wisdom from above is characterized by gentleness, which must be shown through good behavior.James 3:17
Gentleness as fruit and learning from JesusGentleness is listed among the fruits of the Spirit and is highlighted when Jesus invites the weary to come to him and learn from his gentle heart.
Are we the difficult ones?The speaker challenges listeners to think of the most difficult person to get along with, revealing that we often view ourselves as cuddly pets while actually acting like porcupines with painful quills.
Identifying our quillsCommon behaviors like having a bad temper, being argumentative, critical, easily offended, and negative are identified as the quills that hurt those closest to us.
God's custom curriculum for teaching gentlenessSharing his own testimony, the speaker explains how God placed him in environments like legal and educational fields dominated by women to soften his harsh military background.
Joseph's gentle response to betrayalJoseph provides a profound example of gentleness when, facing deep heartbreak and betrayal regarding Mary, he sought the most gentle way to handle the situation rather than demanding her death.
Having our hearts knit togetherExamining Paul's words in Colossians and the example of David and Jonathan, the speaker asks if our quills prevent our hearts from being truly knit to others in love.Colossians 2:2
Softening our hard quillsJust as a porcupine's quills are soft at birth, God wants to take our hard quills and soften them so we can enter the kingdom of heaven and be a blessing to others.
Bearing with one another in loveFollowing testimonies from other brothers, the congregation is reminded to bear with one another with humility and gentleness, absorbing friction like a layer of fat.
Encouraging one another daily to avoid hardnessGathering daily as a church is vital to prevent our hearts from being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin and to help grind down our sharp quills.
Moving from head knowledge to heart realityA final exhortation warns against keeping new covenant truths merely as head knowledge, urging believers to humble themselves, step off the throne, and apply the doctor's prescription.
