Rick Warren - The Strength of Gentleness—Part Three

Hello, and welcome to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope with Rick Warren.

We are so glad you're here with us today. We're

going to continue our series called The Keys to a

Blessed Life.

Now.

In these messages, Rick walks through Jesus' Sermon on the

Mount and shows us how to live a truly hopeful

and purpose filled life. And now here's the final part

of the strength of gentleness.

Number seven. Gentleness is a witness to unbelievers. Gentleness witnesses

to unbelievers when people look at you, and non believers

are watching you all the time, and they're watching to

see are you any different than they are when you're understressed?

Are you any different than they are when you are

under pressure? When you respond to pressure with gentleness, that

is an incredible testimony to the world. Here's what the

Bible says Titus three to two. Believers should never speak

evil of anyone. Circle that if you're a believer, not

only am I as a pastor not to do that?

You're not to do that. Believers should never speak evil

of anyone. So that means you can't disagree with them. No,

of course, you can disagree with people. You just can't

speak evil of them. You can't malign them, you can't

slander them, you can't do personal attacks against them. Not

if you claim to be a follower of Jesus, you can't.

Believers should never speak evil of anyone, even the people

who hurt you, even the people who hurt you, Nor

be quarrelsome. You're not allowed to be quarrelsome. Instead, they

should be gentle and show courtesy to everyone. Circle be

gentle and show courtesy you. If you claim to be

a follower of Jesus, you are not allowed to speak

evil of anyone. You are not not allowed to be quarrelsome. Instead,

you must be gentle with everybody, and you must show

courtesy to everybody. That means even people of a different

political party. Yes, you know, God gave me the gift

of evangelism, which means I spend most of my time

when I'm not at saddleback speaking to people I totally

disagree with. I disagree with what they believe, or I

disagree with with their lifestyle, or I disagree with their

concept or whatever. But my definition of evangelism is you

cannot win your enemies to Christ. You can only win

your friends and to me evangelism as you build a

bridge of love between your heart and theirs, and Jesus

walks across. Now, people aren't going to trust Jesus till

first they trust you. People don't ask me is the

Bible credible? They want to know, Are you credible? Rick Warren?

Are you credible? Are you exactly what you appear to be?

Are you the real deal? Do you live with integrity?

Are you gentle? Are you loving? Are you compassionate? If

people like what they see, they will listen to what

you say. The first they've got to like what they see.

Gentleness is a witnessed unbeliever. We are to be gentle

and show courtesy to everyone. Now, let me just tell

you something. I know this from experience. If you actually

obey this verse, you're going to be criticized by other

Christians because they're going to tell you. They're going to

say you're compromising. You see when I say I have

friends who are Muslims, and I have friends who are atheists,

and I have friends who are gay, and I have

friends who are secularists, and I have friends who are Mormon,

and I have friends who are you can name it.

Democrats Republicans and in between, and how could you do that?

And they hues a you of being compromising. No, you

don't compromise what you believe. You just treat everybody with respect.

You treat everybody with courtesy, whether you agree with it

or not. Does that make sense? And you are to

do that. If you do, there will be people say, hey,

you can't be nice to those liberal people. Well why not,

because then you're a liberal. Or you can't be nice

to those conservatives? Why because then you're a conservative. You've

heard me say this many times before. People ask me,

are you left wing? A right wing? I say, I'm

for the whole bird? Okay, I'm actually for America. Have

you ever seen a bird fly with one wing? If

you only have one wing, you fly around in a circle.

It actually takes both wings. Nobody gets it right all

the time. Independences don't get it right all the time.

Democrats don't get it right all the time. Republicans don't

get it right all the time. I have friends who

are Republicans, I have friends who are Democrats. I'm for

my friends. Why that's what Jesus would do, Because there's

something more than politics that's important and it is, do

they know Jesus? And that's what we are to do.

Gentleness is a witness to believe unbelievers. Look at this

verse one Peter three point fifteen. Always be prepared to

give he's talking about witnessing to an unbeliever. Always be

prepared to give an answer to everybody who asks you

to give the reason for the hope that you have.

But he says, do this with gentleness and what respect.

No matter what they believe, and no matter how they act,

and no matter how ungodly they are, you are to

do it with gentleness and respect. In other words, you

don't go out thumping bibles on people saying turn or burn,

you're gonna die and fry while we go to the sky.

That doesn't work. That doesn't work. Gentleness witnesses to unbelievers.

Number eight, Gentleness makes me like Jesus. Gentleness makes me

like Jesus. And this is the biggest one of all.

That's why I saved it for last. In Matthew, chapter eleven,

verse twenty eight, twenty nine says, if you want to

be like Jesus, you want to be a godly woman,

a godly man, you're gonna have to learn gentleness, Jesus

says in Matthew eleven, come to me. Come to me,

all you who are weary, and you're burdened, you're stressed out.

And he says, I will give you more work to do. Now,

I then say, I will give you what rest? Yeah,

Then he says, take my yoke on you and learn

from me, for I am gentle. Circle that God says.

Jesus says, I am gentle and humble in heart, and

you will find rest for your souls. Now. Question number one,

Doesn't this mean that if I want to be like Jesus,

I've got to learn to be gentle? Yes? Question number two.

Is it possible that the stress you're feeling in your

life and the pressure you're feeling in your life is

because you are not gentle? Yes? Because the Bible says

the more gentle you become, the more christ Like you become,

and the more at peace you become, and the more

at rest you become. The reason why you're stressed out

all the time, why you're tired all the time, while

you feel pressured all the time, is because you are

not gentle. He says, I'm gentle, and if you come

get with me, I'm going to give you rest and peace,

not stress and pressure. I said, man, I want that.

I want to be at peace. I want to be

like Jesus. I don't be stressed out all the time.

So I'm just gonna go out and tomorrow I'm gonna

force myself to be gentle. So you get up in

the morning, you go and how are you today? And

you oh, just fine? Thank you? And you how are

you to? No, no, no, that you can't fake gentleness.

You can't manipulate gentleness. You can't manufacture gentleness. It's got

to be an inside job. God has to produce it

inside you. Look of the next verse. The fruit of

the spirit is what gentleness. It is God's spirit producing

it in you. You can't fake gentleness because inside you're

gonna still be understress. It is something that God does

to you. There is a prayer that I've prayed now

for over thirty years. I've prayed it almost every day.

And as I walk out and I see people and

I walk down on the patterer, I say, Lord, help

me to treat people the way Jesus would. Why because

I am not by nature a gentle person. I'm not

and you know what neither are you? You are not

by nature a gentle person. You have to learn it

and you have to let God produce it in your life.

God help me to treat everybody I meet with like

Jesus today, not rude, not crude, not in civil in

all of those ways. Now let me wrap this up.

Who could you practice gentleness with this week? Let's just

get down and dirty, really practical. I'm going to give

you three statements. Just write these down. They're not on

your outline. Here's three things I want you to practice

gentleness this week with three different kinds of people. Okay,

so write these down. Number one. This next week, here's

the first sentence. When someone serves me, be understanding, not demanding.

When someone serves me, be understanding, not demanding. That's what

gentleness is, strength under control. Why are you talking about Rick,

I'm talking about waitresses when they serve you, clerks and

stores when they serve you. A secretary or a government official,

or a clerk or employees. If you work, people work

for you. Are people in fast food? You know? A

while back I went into McDonald's ordering my Daniel plan,

just seeing if you'd catch that or not. And I'm

standing in line, and there was this young girl, very flustered,

as obvious she was a trainee at McDonald's. She was

just like in her first day, the first couple days,

and she was pressured, and there was a long line,

and she was making a lot of mistakes. And the

more she made mistakes, the more people got upset and

they were not understanding. They were demanding, and the more demanding,

the more pressure she felt. And I thought she was

gonna burst into tears. And when I came up to

get my Daniel plan meal, I looked at her and

I said, it's okay, it's not that big a deal.

Don't worry about it. It's not anything for people to

have to wait a few extra seconds, and tomorrow will

be a whole new day. You're just learning. It's okay.

She looked up at me and she goes, aren't you

that guy from Saddleback? I'm glad I was understanding, not demanding.

And then I got to thinking, I wonder what is

the reputation of our church family in Orange County when

we go out for fast food? Are we understanding or

are we demanding? I didn't get it the way I wanted,

you know, I've traveled all the way around the world.

I've been one hundred and sixty four countries, and now

I want to tell you this. Americans have a simple

reputation overseas. We're rude Americans, a thought of pushy, rude

in civil not gentle, demanding, not understanding. Now the secret

of great service. You want to get great service anywhere

a restaurant or anywhere playing or treat people with respect

and be consider their feelings and be sympathetic and be understanding,

not demanding. The Bible says in Philippians too this, don't

just think about your own affairs, but be interested in

others too and what they're doing. Your attitude should be

the same as that of Jesus Christ. So when people

serve you this week, be understanding, not demanding. And if

you don't get your burger right and it didn't come

back animal style, that's also on the Daniel plan, don't

sweat it all right, Okay, number two, write this one down.

When somebody disagrees with me this week, when somebody disagrees

with me, be tender without surrender. Be tender without surrender.

I'm not saying Gentalist means you have to cave in

on your convictions. And if somebody tells you something is

wrong when you know it's right, or somebody tells you

that something is right when you know that's not wrong,

that's not right, it's wrong according to the scripture, you

don't back down, you don't become wimpy, you don't become

a chameleon and say, well, I'll ever teach his own

ways and that's your interpretation. Woww No, No, that's a

cop out. But you can be tender without surrender. Some

of my best friends are people who violently would disagree

with me on what I believe about certain things. I

don't compromise on what I believe. I know what the

Bible says, and I'm not afraid, and I'm not ashamed,

and I fear God's disapprove them more than theirs. But

I treat them with gentleness and respect, and that's why

we can have a friendship. Let me show you Verse

Romans fourteen to one in the paraphrase of the message,

I love this welcome with open arms fellow believers who

don't see things the way you do. In other words,

they may be another brand of Christian. They may be

Pentecostal or Catholic or Presbyterian or Lutheran or Baptist or

Calrie Chapel or Vineyard or I don't don't really care.

Just maybe they don't even agree with you on certain difference.

Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don't see things

the way you do, and don't jump all over them

every time they do or say something you don't agree with.

That's the exact opposite people are doing on the internet

right now. They jump over everybody anything. Then, he says,

even when it seems that they're strong on their opinions

but weak in the faith department, remember they have their

own history to deal with, treat them gently. That's being

like Jesus. That's what God wants you to do. To

treat everybody gently. You be tender without surrender when somebody

disagrees with you. Would you write this down in your outline.

I never get my point across by being cross. You

can tweet that one too. This is a really tweetable sermon.

I never get my point across by being cross. You

don't have to devastate those you disagree with. A lot

of people make verbal overkill to make a point and

they turn everything into win lose. You have to decide

do I want to make a point or do you

I want to make a friend with that unbeliever or

even another fellow Christian. All right, and then one more,

let me give you this one. When somebody disappoints you,

and you're going to be disappointed this week. When someone

disappoints me, be gentle, not judgmental. When somebody disappoints you

this week, be gentle, not judgmental. Galatians six 's one

says this, if someone is caught in a sin, you

who are spiritual, should restore him gently. That maybe somebody

in your small group you who are spiritual, should restore

him gently. But it says watch yourself, or you may

be tempted too. In other words, given the right situation,

we're all potential ciners in any potential area. We don't

surprise ourselves. If somebody's caught us in, restore them gentle.

And Ephesians four, verse thirty two says this, be gentle

with one another and sensitive with one another. Forgive one

another as quickly and as thoroughly as God in Christ

forgave you. We're going to come back to this verse

in another week. They say this, God cut you a

lot of slack. You better cut everybody else a lot

of slack. God has shown you grace, You better show

everybody else a lot of grace. God has forgiven you

a whole lot more than you're going to have to

ever forgive anybody else. That is gentleness. So how do

you react when somebody really screws up their life? They

really mess it up? You go, I told you so,

I could see it coming. Serves you right. I would

have never been that dumb. And you actually get a

secret satisfaction when you see somebody fall, particularly if they've

criticized you. Do you know what angered Jesus the most?

It wasn't sin that angered Jesus the most. What angered

Jesus the most were self righteous people who thought they

spent all their time being God's appointed judge on earth

of everybody else. And Jesus got really ticked off at

those people. They were called the Pharisees. Happiness is when

you can accept people who haven't attained your level of perfection.

That was sarcasm. If you didn't get it, this is

what it means. All right, it's time to close. Let's

bow our heads do you really want to be like Jesus.

If you do, you're going to have to learn the

third beatitude. God blesses those who are gentiles. The whole

world will belong to them. Why because they don't overreact

and they're not out of control. It's strength under control.

Would you pray this prayer in your heart, Dear Jesus Christ.

I am not by nature a gentle person. I'm just not.

And I need your spirit of power and love and

self control. And this week when people serve me, help

me to be understanding, not demanding. And this week, when

people disagree with me, help me to be tender without surrender.

And this week when people disappoint me, help me to

be gentle, not judgmental. Lord, I want to be like you.

I want to have a gentle answer that earns away anger,

not stirs it up. Help me to lower my voice

when everybody else raises theirs. And when evil things are

said about me, help me to respond like Paul, to

respond gently and disarm my critics. And when people are

headstrong and I'm trying to persuade him, help me to

remember that I'm never persuasive when I'm abrasive. But the

more pleasant my words, the more persuasive I'll be. Lord,

I want my life to be attractive. I want the

beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a

gentle spirit, which is so precious to God. And Lord,

help me to use gentleness this week to communicate love

to those that I love in my life. Help me

to be gentle with them. You said that gentlenescerns respect,

that a woman of gentle grace will be respected, then

a godly man will be gentle. Lord, I want to

be a gentle leader. I want to be meek like Moses,

and like Jesus, strength under control. I want my life

to be a witness. And Lord, I ask you to

help me to never speak evil of anyone, to not

be quarrelsome, to show courtesy to everybody, regardless of what

they believe or how they live. Help me to share

my faith with gentleness and respect. Most of all, Jesus,

you've promised that if I would come to you and

team up with you because you're gentle, I would find

rest for my soul, replace my stress with your gentleness.

I want the fruit of the spirit to grow in

my life. If you've never invited Jesus Christ in life.

Say Jesus Christ, put your spirit in me beginning tonight.

I want to follow you and love you and learn

to trust you the rest of my life. I give

my life to you, Jesus Christ, in your name, I

pray Amen.

If you just prayed to receive Jesus congratulations, we would

love to send you some free materials to help you

along on your spiritual journey. Just email Rick at Pastorick

dot com. That's Rick at Pastorick dot com. Once again,

here's Rick.

You know, I just want to take a quick second

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Thanks for listening today, everybody, and please be sure to

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