WEBVTT 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:05.280 Thank you for joining us on the CCW podcast. 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:11.119 Make sure you connect with us on social media to stay up to date on ministries and events happening at CCW. 00:00:11.359 --> 00:00:15.039 We hope you're encouraged, inspired, and motivated by today's message. 00:00:15.199 --> 00:00:19.199 To find out how to connect with us, keep listening after the message ends. 00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:29.359 Happy Sunday. 00:00:29.600 --> 00:00:30.320 You made it? 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:31.920 You made it. 00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:37.759 I was glad to see during that 90 seconds that many people approached Pastor Dave. 00:00:38.240 --> 00:00:39.200 Thank y'all. 00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:41.359 Well, here we go. 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:44.000 Fruitful, the fruit of gentleness. 00:00:44.240 --> 00:00:47.119 Read with me again, Galatians 5. 00:00:48.159 --> 00:00:50.960 Before we do, I did have one more thing I need to say. 00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:54.240 And thank y'all for words of encouragement. 00:00:54.399 --> 00:01:01.200 We had a uh birthday this past week, and my wife turned, I'm not telling you, years old. 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:05.359 But this past week was her birthday, so happy birthday, Heather. 00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:08.799 And uh yeah, thank you, Darren. 00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:13.920 My parents, we were going celebrated. 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:18.400 I know my mom's watching, so they celebrated a 50-year anniversary as well. 00:01:18.959 --> 00:01:20.719 And uh that was a big deal. 00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:41.280 Yeah, and I wanted to say in being uh all over, so I went from uh Alabama to Georgia to uh Philadelphia, Delaware, Delaware to Baltimore to Dallas to Pensacola to Orange Beach. 00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:51.040 A lot of that was just flights and connecting flights and things, but um the church uh man, you heard a great word last week from Pastor Dave. 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:53.200 So, Dave, great job. 00:01:53.359 --> 00:01:54.959 That was a great word on faithfulness. 00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:57.280 I was listening from Dallas at that moment. 00:01:57.519 --> 00:01:59.680 And want to give you one prayer need. 00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:03.439 Uh be in prayer for baby Will Grantham. 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:15.439 I was talking with uh Amanda and David this past week, and uh there is a hole in his heart uh and that is causing a pulmonary backflow. 00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:22.560 And their prayer is that by October that hole be closed of its own. 00:02:22.719 --> 00:02:24.000 So be in prayer for that. 00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:27.039 If not, he will have to have open heart surgery. 00:02:27.280 --> 00:02:29.759 And so be pr be in prayer for baby will. 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:32.319 Galatians chapter five. 00:02:33.120 --> 00:02:48.080 We've been going week by week through these fruits, and it says, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:50.879 Against such there is no law. 00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:56.240 Point number one this morning is this the definition of gentleness, what it means. 00:02:56.800 --> 00:03:09.919 The word gentleness is the Greek word epios, and it means affable, likable, good natured, easy to talk to, and makes people feel at ease. 00:03:10.159 --> 00:03:11.199 Gentleness. 00:03:11.439 --> 00:03:24.879 Y'all have been in a situation before where you've been at Publix or Walmart or one of the grocery stores, and you've seen the person there with their child, the little mastermind who lost its mind on their parent. 00:03:25.039 --> 00:03:26.159 You've seen this? 00:03:26.560 --> 00:03:30.719 And you thought to yourself, oh man, oh man, what's about to happen? 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:33.439 And they're screaming because they want, right? 00:03:33.599 --> 00:03:36.159 Or maybe you've been in that position before. 00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:42.560 And you thought, man, that child, they know that they got them right where they want them because of the situation. 00:03:43.439 --> 00:03:52.159 And you watched to see if the parent would lose it, or if they'd keep it together, or if they'd run them outside, or what was going to happen, right? 00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:54.719 That child tests them in that moment. 00:03:54.800 --> 00:03:56.639 They're testing gentleness. 00:03:57.680 --> 00:04:05.280 Uh we had a family at our home one time, and a particular child had just torn into desserts. 00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:09.599 Dessert after dessert after dessert, and uh having at it. 00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:15.759 And then all of a sudden, he this child had grabbed, I think, the second or third brownie. 00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:20.879 Heather makes these delicious brownies with peanut butter on them. 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:22.399 Buckeye brownies, I think. 00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:24.000 Oh man, I kill them. 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:24.800 They're so good. 00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:36.319 Anyhow, second or third brownie, and his parent looked across the table as he was getting this next dessert and said, No more. 00:04:36.879 --> 00:04:43.839 And the child looked her in the eyes, stared her, didn't lose eye contact, and licked the brownie from front to back. 00:04:45.040 --> 00:04:46.720 I thought, what's about to happen? 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:48.319 What are we gonna see? 00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:50.879 Is this child about to be taken out? 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:52.879 What a test in that moment. 00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:54.639 Well, he sure had her. 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:56.560 He ate the rest of that brownie. 00:04:56.639 --> 00:05:00.079 But I thought, mmm, I wonder what the car ride home might have been like. 00:05:00.639 --> 00:05:02.079 And uh he had her. 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:09.439 One day, Callie was at the top of our steps in our old house, and she screamed to the top of her lungs. 00:05:09.680 --> 00:05:12.560 Like in a way that I thought she was hurt. 00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:15.439 I heard I thought violence had occurred. 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:17.120 I thought she felt, I thought something was bad. 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:24.560 She just screamed, Dada! And I come running, and I get around the corner and I get to the top of the steps, and tears are coming down her eye. 00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:26.639 I'm like, what, baby, what happened? 00:05:26.879 --> 00:05:31.279 And she said, Wyatt! Called me a rat. 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:35.279 So I found Wyatt. 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:37.519 I walked over to him and I kicked him. 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:38.639 I'm just kidding. 00:05:38.720 --> 00:05:39.439 I didn't. 00:05:41.600 --> 00:05:46.720 No, I looked at my son and I said, son, don't be mean with your words. 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:54.879 A calm and gentle spirit pours cold water on lots of situations that could be like fire. 00:05:55.439 --> 00:05:57.920 Do you have that spirit? 00:05:58.399 --> 00:05:58.959 Pray with me. 00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:00.639 Father, we love you. 00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:08.720 We are thankful, God, that we can lean into you for all of this. 00:06:08.879 --> 00:06:11.519 We all have things we're lacking. 00:06:11.759 --> 00:06:14.240 Lord, ways that need growth. 00:06:14.399 --> 00:06:20.079 And God, we're asking today that we can be more and more like Jesus. 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:22.720 Help us, Lord, today. 00:06:22.879 --> 00:06:31.360 Help us to understand this fruit of gentleness and help us, God, to display it in a way that the world around us would see you in and through us. 00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:32.319 In Jesus' name. 00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:33.199 Amen. 00:06:34.399 --> 00:06:37.120 Letter A this morning is this a meek standing. 00:06:37.279 --> 00:06:41.439 I want you to turn over to 2 Timothy chapter 2. 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:55.360 And I know that Paul is writing to Timothy about ministry and being a minister, but it takes a little curve here, and it talks about approved and disproved workers. 00:06:55.600 --> 00:07:05.279 So, in effect, he is talking to Timothy throughout these two books about how to be in ministry, but he hits the church in general, and that's us. 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:13.600 And so today you can take from this as he's talking to this young pastor in the making that every member is a minister. 00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:15.759 A meek standard. 00:07:15.839 --> 00:07:26.639 The word meek is prouse, and we're gonna dive into that, but that word prouse before I read 2 Timothy 2 is a vessel that is clean and empty. 00:07:26.959 --> 00:07:27.519 Prouse. 00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:30.160 2 Timothy 2, 20 through 22. 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:31.680 What it says. 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:40.000 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:50.399 Therefore, if any one cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the master, prepared for every good work. 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:59.439 Flee also youthful lust, but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:05.199 And so it's interesting to look at the meaning of this word and this talking about a vessel. 00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:08.560 It says, standing in honor as usable. 00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:10.800 Being cleansed from the latter. 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:12.319 The latter is verse 22. 00:08:12.480 --> 00:08:15.439 Being cleansed from, it says, flee youthful lust. 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:28.560 Now that's marked by sexual temptation and fleshly pleasures, but prominently that youthful lust is used in conjunction with the idea of longing for one's own glory. 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:30.240 Fame and glory. 00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:36.639 It is a contradiction to be gentle and to be longing for one's own glory. 00:08:36.879 --> 00:08:41.200 I cannot be gentle and long for you to praise me. 00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:45.120 There is one who deserves glory, and his name is God. 00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:52.240 John 3.30 said it this way: I must decrease and he must increase. 00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:54.159 This meek standing. 00:08:54.480 --> 00:09:02.879 God used many men throughout the pages of Scripture who were not prominent men, who were not men that were seeking their own glory. 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:11.120 If you look through the pages of the Old Testament, you'll see a man by the name of Gideon, who, when God found him, he was a vessel, but he was hiding. 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:15.120 And he said, I am from Manasseh, and I am the least of my people. 00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:16.240 I'm the least. 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:17.759 And so we find Gideon. 00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:24.879 We found Moses, who led the Israelites, and when God first came to Moses, Moses said, I cannot speak. 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:26.639 I am the least. 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:31.200 David, whose father and brothers would go to Samuel. 00:09:31.440 --> 00:09:32.320 Samuel would come to them. 00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:33.759 He said, David? 00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:34.879 The little one? 00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:35.840 The least? 00:09:36.080 --> 00:09:39.200 And God used the least in a mighty way. 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:46.639 None of these were sought out by God because of their formidable strength or their prominence. 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:48.799 They were usable. 00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:51.840 God likes to use the usable. 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:55.200 God works gentleness through a usable vessel. 00:09:55.759 --> 00:09:57.279 Are you being usable? 00:09:57.360 --> 00:10:02.080 I want you to turn your Bibles today to Isaiah chapter 45. 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:05.360 And I want you to see a passage. 00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:11.279 Isaiah 45, verses 6 through 9. 00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:22.480 God's talking about the instruments that he uses. 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:30.399 In verse 6, he says that they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides me. 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:33.279 I am the Lord, and there is no other. 00:10:33.600 --> 00:10:36.720 I form the light and create darkness. 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:39.919 I make peace and create calamity. 00:10:40.159 --> 00:10:42.639 I, the Lord, do all these things. 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:47.120 Rain down, you heavens from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. 00:10:47.279 --> 00:10:52.799 Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:54.720 I, the Lord, have created it. 00:10:54.879 --> 00:10:55.840 Hear this. 00:10:56.240 --> 00:10:59.679 Woe to him who strives with his maker. 00:10:59.919 --> 00:11:02.960 Let the pot's herd strive with the pots herd of the earth. 00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:09.120 Shall the clay say to him who forms it, What are you making? 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:15.360 Romans 9, 1 says, Does not the potter have rights over the clay? 00:11:15.679 --> 00:11:23.840 He is the master potter who is at work molding and shaping us to be a usable vessel. 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:32.799 But when clay becomes hardened, it becomes difficult to work with, when clay hardens, the actual process becomes brittle. 00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:42.000 And when it becomes brittle, it becomes easily broken, hard to trust, it cracks, it breaks, it causes limited workability. 00:11:42.159 --> 00:11:52.000 And so God seeks a usable vessel, someone whose heart is soft, someone who is flexible to the work of God in their life, a meek standing. 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:54.320 Letter B is a mild spirit. 00:11:57.519 --> 00:12:03.120 If you looked in Numbers chapter 12, it's an interesting passage. 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:05.039 Numbers 12, verse 3. 00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:08.720 Moses the writer says this of Moses the person. 00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:16.240 Now the man, Moses, was very humble, more than all who were on the face of the earth. 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:18.080 It's an interesting passage, right? 00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:24.879 When you hear it and I hear it, like Moses the writer says, Moses the person was the most humble of all men who lived on the face of the earth. 00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:29.919 Like, what's really good about me, my favorite attribute of me is my humbleness. 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:39.120 So Moses writes this, but it's right after this little altercation in Numbers chapter 11. 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:44.080 If you want to take time to go back and kind of look through it, it's 11, 26 through 29. 00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:55.120 There is two men who are spirit, it says the spirit of God fell on Medad and Edad, and they begin to prophesy. 00:12:55.360 --> 00:13:01.120 And people within the camp see that, and it starts to cause a little bit of a contention. 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:04.639 And Moses said, Are you jealous for my sake? 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:11.200 He said, Would the Lord, would all the Lord's people that we were all prophets? 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:14.480 That the Lord would put his spirit upon all men. 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:18.399 Now Moses, see what he did there? 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:22.559 In gentleness, Moses, there was something coming up. 00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:28.240 There was something brewing, and Moses steps in gently and says, This is okay. 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:29.600 The Spirit of the Lord's there. 00:13:29.759 --> 00:13:33.440 I perceive the Spirit of the Lord in this, and it's okay. 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:36.720 That's good news because Moses wasn't always like this. 00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:45.360 Moses, who said of himself that he was the most humble person, you know, Moses didn't always react to life in that way. 00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:50.720 And that's good for you and me, because that means there's opportunity for growth today. 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:53.440 We're not always what we once were, right? 00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:56.720 I wasn't always like this. 00:13:56.879 --> 00:14:02.720 And so his gentleness soothed the situation, but Moses got angry one time and killed a man. 00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:11.519 Moses came down off the mountain and threw down the Ten Commandments in righteous anger, I will say, but it was anger nonetheless. 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:13.039 And he showed it. 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:19.840 Moses wasn't always just gentle and quiet, and we're not going to ruffle any feathers. 00:14:20.879 --> 00:14:26.639 Moses did not care, though, about his rank, I don't believe, position or reputation. 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:39.679 He lived a life so closely to the Lord in the years that followed his murdering of a man, and he got so close to God that humility was his greatest asset. 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:53.519 In Numbers 12, 13, you see that his sister and his brother kind of begin to mock him, and his sister begins to contract some leprosy in her hand, and you think, a good brother, if you've been mocked, well, now it's my turn to kind of laugh at you. 00:14:53.679 --> 00:14:59.679 Oh, you didn't like the skin tone of the woman that I like, and now God put a little skin rash on you. 00:14:59.919 --> 00:15:00.399 Ha ha. 00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:04.320 No, Moses begins and sets himself to prayer. 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:07.039 God, please release her of that disease. 00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:07.679 Alright? 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:09.120 He prayed for healing. 00:15:09.360 --> 00:15:13.279 Have you guys heard the term EQ in business? 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:15.360 Anybody had to read a book yet? 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:17.919 Like it's it's kind of a buzzword, EQ. 00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:20.879 It's emotional intelligence. 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:26.639 Alright, this would be helpful to some when it comes to the idea of gentleness. 00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:37.600 Emotional intelligence says you have to have the ability to understand and manage emotions, recognize and directing your emotions in a healthy way. 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:38.559 Right? 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:43.039 Do you recognize where you need to be careful? 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:46.720 Do you recognize things to avoid? 00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:49.519 Do you have good timing and tactfulness? 00:15:49.679 --> 00:15:54.320 How many of you ever had a child walk in and blabber her mouth off right at the wrong time? 00:15:54.559 --> 00:15:55.120 Right? 00:15:55.360 --> 00:15:57.039 It's hadn't learned it yet. 00:15:57.120 --> 00:15:57.440 Okay? 00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:04.080 Emotional intelligence, EQ, says that you're able to recognize and weigh things in a certain way. 00:16:04.320 --> 00:16:08.000 Ecclesiastes 3, 1 and 7 says there's a time and a season. 00:16:08.159 --> 00:16:12.240 There's a time to be silent, there's a time to speak. 00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:14.960 Can you measure a situation? 00:16:15.279 --> 00:16:16.159 Here's how. 00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:21.120 Because you're walking in the spirit, which Paul's been telling us all along. 00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:24.000 If you're walking in the spirit, right? 00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:28.000 My flesh doesn't measure situations all that great. 00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:29.600 My flesh gets angry. 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:31.039 I did it yesterday. 00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:33.519 I said something, I did so good all week, y'all. 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:38.320 I'm with the kids 24-7 for all these days, and I hadn't really messed up too bad. 00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:41.919 And yesterday on the ride, my mouth and my flesh had enough. 00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:43.919 And I said something that I shouldn't say. 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:45.519 I had apologized later. 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:46.000 Right? 00:16:46.159 --> 00:16:48.080 I'm like, I did, I did really good. 00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:51.200 I shut up so many times that I didn't want to. 00:16:52.559 --> 00:16:54.399 And there I went, right? 00:16:55.600 --> 00:16:58.879 And so do you recognize by walking in the spirit? 00:16:58.960 --> 00:17:02.159 I don't want to want you to hear, I don't do that of me. 00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:05.359 I do that because I get up and I crack open the word of God. 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:10.000 And I begin my day with a dose of me and the Lord. 00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:11.759 And I worship in the morning. 00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:15.440 And I get myself centered around God in my day. 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:19.119 And that, for me, helps me continue to walk in the spirit. 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:20.160 Is the flesh still there? 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:20.880 Yeah. 00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:22.960 And I gotta battle that. 00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:28.559 Are you able to weigh and measure situations in that way? 00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:36.319 Well, the second point this morning is this from definition of gentleness to the demonstration of gentleness, how it leans. 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:40.480 What it means now how it leans, 2 Timothy 2, 23 through 25. 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:51.039 It says, But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. 00:17:51.200 --> 00:18:05.200 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility, correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance so that they may know the truth. 00:18:05.440 --> 00:18:09.519 Letter A, the demonstration is towards softness in speech. 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:11.279 Softness in speech. 00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:18.720 Proverbs 15.1 says, A soft word turns away wrath, and a harsh word stirs anger. 00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:23.440 In Proverbs 15, 4 it says, A gentle tongue is a tree of life. 00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:30.319 Titus 3.2 says, speak evil of no one, avoid quarrels, but be gentle. 00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:35.440 James 3, 17 says, Wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, and gentle. 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:43.599 And on and on and on, there's scores of scriptures that talk about how we use this tongue and how we talk softly and gently. 00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:51.200 But here in 2 Timothy 2, 23, he says, avoid foolish and ignorant disputes. 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:58.160 Deliberately choose not to be a contributor to strife and conflict. 00:18:58.319 --> 00:19:01.440 That's what happens to me when I bite my tongue. 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:04.160 I'm trying not, okay? 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:08.960 There's some times where I need to interject myself and I need to stand for what's right. 00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:13.759 I'm not saying never speak, but do I have the intelligence to weigh the situation? 00:19:14.079 --> 00:19:17.200 Because I'm walking in the spirit. 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:20.000 I've learned that conflict is not wrong. 00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:22.480 Like conflict is so a part of life. 00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:26.880 You're gonna have zero days on earth without conflict, right? 00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:29.279 And so conflict is a part of life. 00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:32.079 How do you deal with conflict the right way? 00:19:32.720 --> 00:19:35.839 Well, I was considering that. 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:38.240 Deliberately don't be a contributor. 00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:40.319 And to what end is your conflicts? 00:19:40.640 --> 00:19:48.799 There's a difference in spiritually advising a situation and being contentious. 00:19:49.039 --> 00:19:49.519 Right? 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:53.119 There's a difference in advisement and contention. 00:19:53.440 --> 00:20:01.039 My nephew, I think, was about four years old, and he began praying the blessing over the food. 00:20:01.279 --> 00:20:03.599 And it started getting pretty wordy, you know. 00:20:03.759 --> 00:20:09.599 By the way, church, I'm not trying to say what is spiritual or not, but when people are hungry, a little less words is okay. 00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:21.599 And Axel sets off to pray, and he is praying, and I'm like, what is and as he ends his prayer, he said, And Lord, help me to be a peace-maker. 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:26.880 I thought, what a prayer over the food. 00:20:28.480 --> 00:20:34.559 But it is very evident that his parents had been telling him, Axel, you're not being very good at peacemaking. 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:38.640 You're being good at contention or quarreling. 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:40.000 Be a peacemaker. 00:20:40.079 --> 00:20:41.519 And he was praying himself. 00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:47.920 And I asked later, his mom and dad told me, we told him he needs to pray, that God would help him to be a peacemaker. 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:53.680 We may need more of those types of prayers. 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:56.799 It says, avoid foolish and ignorant disputes. 00:20:56.880 --> 00:20:58.480 Then it says, must not. 00:20:58.640 --> 00:20:59.599 Christian, hear me. 00:20:59.759 --> 00:21:01.359 It doesn't say maybe not. 00:21:01.839 --> 00:21:03.920 It doesn't say think about not. 00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:06.000 It says must not quarrel. 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:14.160 That word quarrel is machomi, and it means those who engage and wrangle others. 00:21:14.720 --> 00:21:20.480 That means to be at odd or have a dispute with somebody and then wrangle. 00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:24.400 A quarrel wrangles more into the dispute. 00:21:24.559 --> 00:21:30.079 A good question or prayer is God help me to be less of a quarreler. 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:37.920 If you have a real dispute biblically, this is what the Bible says, it's between you, God, and one other person. 00:21:38.960 --> 00:21:44.799 Lest that person won't get right with you, and then you take another later down the road. 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:50.720 But a quarreler wrangles many into a dispute, talks to many. 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:56.079 Made me think about Weston's first word or words. 00:21:56.480 --> 00:21:59.759 Now, many of you, if you don't have, you know, genius children like mine. 00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:02.480 Some of you, they just had one word. 00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:05.599 Weston's first words ever was a phrase. 00:22:05.839 --> 00:22:07.359 Can you guess the phrase? 00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:09.759 It's from a movie called Frozen. 00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:11.359 Let it go. 00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:14.799 He sang that song so many times. 00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:16.400 Let it go. 00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:18.319 But I thought about that. 00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:24.400 Is there something that's going on in your life that you need to let it go? 00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:25.680 Let it go. 00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:27.839 You know what Jesus said on the cross? 00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:30.480 He said, Father, forgive them. 00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:32.799 For they know not what they do. 00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:35.440 I said, but be gentle. 00:22:35.599 --> 00:22:38.160 2 Timothy there, but be gentle. 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:41.839 I want you to look at a verse in 1 Thessalonians. 00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:44.559 But be gentle. 00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:45.759 Instead, be gentle. 00:22:45.839 --> 00:22:46.559 Don't quarrel. 00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:49.599 Don't dispute, but be gentle. 00:22:50.799 --> 00:22:53.440 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 7. 00:22:53.599 --> 00:22:55.759 Paul is writing to the Thessalonians. 00:22:55.839 --> 00:22:59.680 He says, We were gentle, and he's talking about their conduct among them. 00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:06.079 And he says, We were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother who cherishes her children. 00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:09.279 Gentle as a mother who nurses. 00:23:09.920 --> 00:23:14.559 Have you seen the love in the eyes of a mother with a baby? 00:23:16.319 --> 00:23:22.079 Paul said, our conduct towards the Thessalonians was well known for being gentle. 00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:29.440 Is there a safer place on planet Earth than a baby in the arms of her mother? 00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:32.079 The gentleness in that moment? 00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:36.559 He says, be gentle like we were gentle. 00:23:36.960 --> 00:23:40.960 Do you blow up often and apologize later? 00:23:41.279 --> 00:23:43.920 Let me give some practical thoughts. 00:23:44.559 --> 00:23:46.799 Deep breathe before you speak. 00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:48.880 Everybody take a deep breath. 00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:54.640 I watch a guy named Gary Breca sometimes. 00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:58.079 He told me you're supposed to do 30 of those every morning for three rounds. 00:23:58.240 --> 00:23:59.519 It does make you feel better. 00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:02.400 I don't know if it does everything he says it does. 00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:05.680 But sometimes you need a deep breath, right? 00:24:05.839 --> 00:24:08.559 The other day in the car, I needed to breathe. 00:24:08.799 --> 00:24:11.279 I needed to do something other than what I said. 00:24:11.599 --> 00:24:14.240 Pray before you speak. 00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:15.920 Take a walk. 00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:17.839 Sometimes take a walk. 00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:18.880 Measure your words. 00:24:19.119 --> 00:24:27.519 I can tell you this that it is rare that anyone has ever said to me that, listen, your gentleness, it's out of control. 00:24:28.160 --> 00:24:29.920 It is off the charts. 00:24:30.480 --> 00:24:33.680 Be less gentle and be a little more rough. 00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:39.039 Like a nursing mother. 00:24:39.839 --> 00:24:41.039 Softness in speech. 00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:43.599 Let her be towards strong synergy. 00:24:43.839 --> 00:24:48.799 I want you to go back in 2 Timothy and see verse 16 through 18. 00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:51.119 The dispute that had risen. 00:24:55.359 --> 00:25:04.640 Again, it says, but shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness, and their message will spread like cancer. 00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:15.440 Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already passed, and they overthrow the faith of some. 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:27.920 So he's explaining this situation, Hymenus and Philetus, who have caused a disruption in the church because they're teaching something that the church doesn't believe in. 00:25:28.079 --> 00:25:30.240 And it says it's like a cancer. 00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:32.559 Don't miss these words. 00:25:32.720 --> 00:25:36.480 It says it's like a cancer that leads to more ungodliness. 00:25:36.640 --> 00:25:41.279 In some versions it says, and it eats, instead of the word cancer, like a canker. 00:25:41.680 --> 00:25:47.119 And if you look at the background of that word, that word is the same word as gangrene. 00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:56.799 The definition for gangrene is a disease that spreads inflammation throughout the entirety of your body, attacking all parts until it's in the bones. 00:25:58.240 --> 00:26:05.039 You see why Paul was so interested in stopping this kind of dispute. 00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:07.279 He says, avoid all of it. 00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:09.279 Avoid it because it spreads. 00:26:09.519 --> 00:26:14.000 What happens is a quarrel or a quarreler gets interesting. 00:26:14.319 --> 00:26:18.480 If you can come and hear about my quarrel, my problem, my issue, right? 00:26:18.640 --> 00:26:21.920 Does anybody ever describe or cry or whine alone? 00:26:22.559 --> 00:26:23.759 Not too often. 00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:25.359 There's somebody just in the corner. 00:26:25.440 --> 00:26:27.440 I used to say that before we went to camp with teenagers. 00:26:27.519 --> 00:26:29.920 I'm like, you may have a bad time or hurt something. 00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:34.160 If you have to just really be negative, that's fine. 00:26:34.240 --> 00:26:35.440 But just do it by yourself. 00:26:35.519 --> 00:26:36.160 And you know what? 00:26:36.240 --> 00:26:37.759 Nobody really liked that. 00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:39.680 Like we don't like that. 00:26:39.839 --> 00:26:46.400 And so it becomes this big thing because a person is wrangling. 00:26:46.880 --> 00:26:50.559 Like a cancer, it infiltrates in diseases. 00:26:51.279 --> 00:26:54.880 Hymenaeus and Philadis did not believe in the future resurrection. 00:26:55.039 --> 00:26:59.359 Paul says, we've been through contention that these guys stirred up. 00:27:00.559 --> 00:27:03.599 Their quarrels and disputings tried to stir things up. 00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:08.960 I met a guy at the beach, and uh he he told me he was in. 00:27:09.359 --> 00:27:11.200 We could see it in each other, whatever. 00:27:11.359 --> 00:27:14.559 He kept wanting to smile at me, and I kept smiling back. 00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:17.839 I went into one restaurant, padded somebody on the back like I was still in church. 00:27:17.920 --> 00:27:18.559 Hey, how you doing? 00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:19.599 Good to see you today. 00:27:21.039 --> 00:27:23.680 This guy kept smiling like he must be a Christian. 00:27:23.839 --> 00:27:27.279 People don't smile and look at you that much because they don't know the Lord. 00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:30.880 And he just kept, every time he walked by, smile, I'm smiling back. 00:27:31.039 --> 00:27:32.400 Finally, we started talking. 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:34.319 Anyway, he's in ministry. 00:27:34.400 --> 00:27:38.160 And he said to me, He said, I love preaching. 00:27:38.400 --> 00:27:39.759 He does pulpit supply. 00:27:39.839 --> 00:27:40.640 I love preaching. 00:27:40.799 --> 00:27:43.519 He said, I'm not too much into the people. 00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:48.880 The politics of people and church. 00:27:49.200 --> 00:27:56.960 And, you know, I got thinking about what he was saying, and I'm like, you don't like shepherding then. 00:27:58.160 --> 00:27:58.720 Right? 00:27:59.680 --> 00:28:01.680 We all like preaching, right? 00:28:01.839 --> 00:28:03.200 Dave, this is fun. 00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:10.559 Studying the word, speaking the word, but it takes people to hear it. 00:28:11.599 --> 00:28:13.440 I don't like the politics of church. 00:28:13.519 --> 00:28:14.799 I just thought about that. 00:28:15.039 --> 00:28:20.640 You know, Satan hates church when a group like this has the unity that we have. 00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:25.359 Satan can't stand unity in a church. 00:28:25.759 --> 00:28:26.640 It's hard. 00:28:26.799 --> 00:28:29.519 You know, unity's hard because we're all different, right? 00:28:29.680 --> 00:28:33.599 And we all have different backgrounds and different flavors and different things. 00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:34.880 And it's difficult. 00:28:35.039 --> 00:28:36.480