1 00:00:00,050 --> 00:00:00,369 Martin Chairez: Morning. 2 00:00:01,460 --> 00:00:02,780 Good morning, OC Church. 3 00:00:02,789 --> 00:00:02,880 Good morning. 4 00:00:03,490 --> 00:00:06,559 Uh, let's give a hand here to our Spanish ministry worship team 5 00:00:12,491 --> 00:00:17,081 for because we're up there, and every now and then we catch the 6 00:00:17,081 --> 00:00:19,151 Holy Spirit and get a little louder. 7 00:00:19,721 --> 00:00:21,811 Um, but no, it's been great to be here. 8 00:00:21,821 --> 00:00:28,411 Speaking of the Holy Spirit, in Acts chapter two, as the Holy Spirit 9 00:00:28,421 --> 00:00:35,241 descends on the young congregation and Peter is empowered, uh, to preach 10 00:00:35,241 --> 00:00:41,551 to people who were from other lands visiting Jerusalem at the time. 11 00:00:42,431 --> 00:00:51,241 There are these amazing signs, sounds, and sights, uh, that pull 12 00:00:51,241 --> 00:00:58,071 the people to come towards Peter to hear the Gospel for the first time. 13 00:00:59,921 --> 00:01:03,811 And it's interesting that the people in response to all the miraculous 14 00:01:03,811 --> 00:01:09,031 things they are seeing, if you go back to Acts chapter two, what they 15 00:01:09,031 --> 00:01:21,972 say is, "We hear you declaring the wonders of God in our native language." 16 00:01:22,951 --> 00:01:23,061 Wow. 17 00:01:24,142 --> 00:01:30,611 Signaling to us that even though those people were not from Jerusalem, they 18 00:01:30,611 --> 00:01:34,661 spoke their own native language, it was important to the Holy Spirit. 19 00:01:35,511 --> 00:01:41,041 It was a priority to the Holy Spirit to deliver the message of the resurrected 20 00:01:41,041 --> 00:01:45,860 Lord in people's native language. 21 00:01:46,621 --> 00:01:46,661 Amen. 22 00:01:46,811 --> 00:01:51,321 The Spirit did not call them to assimilate to one dominant language, 23 00:01:52,071 --> 00:01:57,101 but the Spirit embraced and spoke to everyone in their native language. 24 00:01:57,731 --> 00:02:01,651 And that's a little bit of what God is up to in the OC Church, as we 25 00:02:01,651 --> 00:02:05,411 are one church with three languages. 26 00:02:05,411 --> 00:02:05,861 Amen? 27 00:02:07,231 --> 00:02:07,271 Amen. 28 00:02:07,411 --> 00:02:12,941 Our Korean ministry is at, upstairs having their own service, and maybe one day 29 00:02:13,261 --> 00:02:16,801 we'll have a trilingual worship service. 30 00:02:16,801 --> 00:02:17,271 Amen? 31 00:02:17,271 --> 00:02:18,461 Amen. 32 00:02:18,461 --> 00:02:19,601 Only if there's food after. 33 00:02:19,782 --> 00:02:20,681 Can I get an amen? 34 00:02:20,681 --> 00:02:21,941 Amen. 35 00:02:21,941 --> 00:02:22,861 Amen to that. 36 00:02:23,322 --> 00:02:30,121 As we continue our study here in this, of the Holy Spirit life on the vine- 37 00:02:32,822 --> 00:02:35,322 Let's read this passage once again. 38 00:02:36,351 --> 00:02:43,411 In Galatians chapter 6 verse 22 it reads, "But the fruits of… 39 00:02:44,321 --> 00:02:51,801 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, 40 00:02:52,601 --> 00:02:56,371 kindness, goodness, faithfulness." 41 00:02:57,132 --> 00:03:01,431 And you've done those studies, and today we will do gentleness 42 00:03:04,619 --> 00:03:08,559 In a few weeks, we'll conclude with self-control, and Paul goes on to say, 43 00:03:08,559 --> 00:03:10,730 "Against such thing there is no law." 44 00:03:10,750 --> 00:03:11,960 Let's keep reading a little bit. 45 00:03:13,579 --> 00:03:22,079 "Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 46 00:03:23,089 --> 00:03:28,299 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 47 00:03:29,079 --> 00:03:37,239 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." 48 00:03:38,339 --> 00:03:39,309 That's a no no. 49 00:03:41,109 --> 00:03:45,889 And Paul continues and says, "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught 50 00:03:45,918 --> 00:03:52,629 in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person 51 00:03:54,820 --> 00:03:55,360 gently." 52 00:03:57,963 --> 00:04:03,724 But watch yourselves or you may also be tempted. 53 00:04:05,224 --> 00:04:09,643 And we can summarize that that possible temptation is whatever you've witnessed 54 00:04:09,654 --> 00:04:11,554 that person do and you don't wanna… 55 00:04:11,673 --> 00:04:13,264 Once you hear it, you may be tempted. 56 00:04:13,264 --> 00:04:14,833 I guess there's room for that. 57 00:04:15,493 --> 00:04:22,223 But in the context of gentleness, isn't it interesting that after the 58 00:04:22,224 --> 00:04:28,073 description of these nine fruits, and the eighth one, gentleness, right 59 00:04:28,073 --> 00:04:30,943 after that, he includes gentle again? 60 00:04:33,151 --> 00:04:37,891 He says, "You should restore that person gently, but watch yourselves 61 00:04:37,891 --> 00:04:39,231 or you also may be tempted." 62 00:04:39,231 --> 00:04:44,101 And he continues to say, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way 63 00:04:44,541 --> 00:04:48,341 you will fulfill the law of Christ." 64 00:04:51,531 --> 00:04:55,081 You ever been restored in your faith after a mistake? 65 00:04:58,091 --> 00:05:01,631 You ever been corrected when you were off and you look back and you can say, 66 00:05:01,631 --> 00:05:05,241 "Man, so grateful for that conversation. 67 00:05:06,071 --> 00:05:06,951 It changed me. 68 00:05:07,791 --> 00:05:11,271 Someone said it to me in a way that I needed to hear it." 69 00:05:11,711 --> 00:05:12,561 Is that not true? 70 00:05:12,561 --> 00:05:13,691 Yeah, that's in our past. 71 00:05:14,451 --> 00:05:15,771 There's also other experiences 72 00:05:17,971 --> 00:05:23,281 Where we may still carry a hurt or a wound because of the way that things 73 00:05:23,281 --> 00:05:28,921 were done or expressed that didn't include the fruit of gentleness. 74 00:05:30,951 --> 00:05:38,411 As a result of those experiences, we then end up picking different types of 75 00:05:38,411 --> 00:05:42,831 habits as to how we encounter one another 76 00:05:45,075 --> 00:05:49,995 And we'll either ignore because we don't wanna go there or we 77 00:05:49,995 --> 00:05:52,325 don't wanna sound harsh, right? 78 00:05:53,155 --> 00:05:57,985 Or we're just kind of sitting in seats of judgment looking for 79 00:05:57,985 --> 00:05:59,525 what mistakes people are making. 80 00:06:00,365 --> 00:06:02,645 Those are two extremes 81 00:06:04,949 --> 00:06:06,069 I'm gonna need some help today. 82 00:06:06,069 --> 00:06:10,679 So can I get you guys to pass me these, uh, uh, stools right here, please? 83 00:06:11,659 --> 00:06:15,289 I wanna introduce you my, uh, co-partners in this lesson 84 00:06:22,710 --> 00:06:24,000 Church, meet aggression. 85 00:06:24,899 --> 00:06:26,119 Everybody say, "Hi, aggression." 86 00:06:26,349 --> 00:06:26,439 Hi, aggression. 87 00:06:27,789 --> 00:06:28,969 Let's be nice to aggression 88 00:06:31,020 --> 00:06:33,239 And church, please meet passivity. 89 00:06:33,369 --> 00:06:33,820 Everybody say, "Hi, passivity." 90 00:06:33,820 --> 00:06:34,639 Hi, passivity. 91 00:06:36,090 --> 00:06:37,058 Passivity's like, "Eh." 92 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:44,030 Aggression and passivity, two extremes. 93 00:06:45,710 --> 00:06:50,679 Both make assumptions about what gentleness is, but they miss it. 94 00:06:50,690 --> 00:06:50,710 Yeah. 95 00:06:52,659 --> 00:06:57,308 But we're gonna help really see in scripture today what gentleness is. 96 00:06:57,319 --> 00:07:01,639 Please turn your Bibles to Matthew 7:29. 97 00:07:02,110 --> 00:07:09,139 We'll get there soon, but first a little bit more dialogue in preparation for that. 98 00:07:11,029 --> 00:07:18,309 One of the definitions in scripture about gentleness is gentleness 99 00:07:18,309 --> 00:07:22,210 is a strength under God's reign. 100 00:07:23,669 --> 00:07:25,909 Gentleness is not a weakness. 101 00:07:27,559 --> 00:07:34,300 Gentleness is a strength that submits itself under God's reign. 102 00:07:35,759 --> 00:07:37,050 And here's the kicker. 103 00:07:38,090 --> 00:07:46,549 It is exercised with humility for the good of others. 104 00:07:47,759 --> 00:07:56,119 So gentleness is a strength submitted under God's reign that 105 00:07:56,119 --> 00:08:01,560 is exercised for the good of others 106 00:08:04,779 --> 00:08:09,969 The way aggression understands gentleness is correcting others 107 00:08:09,989 --> 00:08:12,549 because I feel worried for you. 108 00:08:13,899 --> 00:08:19,699 So the protagonist for aggression in the correcting one another, in 109 00:08:19,699 --> 00:08:23,979 the restoring one another, is the fears and concerns of aggression. 110 00:08:24,169 --> 00:08:25,339 That's not gentleness. 111 00:08:25,409 --> 00:08:26,419 Are you with me right here? 112 00:08:30,283 --> 00:08:36,883 The filter of passivity of gentleness is, "Pff, you know, everybody's got free will. 113 00:08:36,883 --> 00:08:37,673 Whatever you wanna do. 114 00:08:37,673 --> 00:08:38,743 No judgment here." 115 00:08:41,803 --> 00:08:45,163 And that is standing in contrast to aggression. 116 00:08:45,173 --> 00:08:46,583 These two are rivals. 117 00:08:47,343 --> 00:08:48,473 They don't get along. 118 00:08:49,163 --> 00:08:50,783 They don't like each other 119 00:08:52,873 --> 00:08:53,713 Can I, can you just nod? 120 00:08:53,773 --> 00:08:55,123 Can you, can you, can we engage here? 121 00:08:55,123 --> 00:08:57,133 Like, don't leave me alone here 122 00:09:01,246 --> 00:09:06,536 And so it is important for us to not miss what gentleness is. 123 00:09:06,656 --> 00:09:06,675 Yeah. 124 00:09:06,675 --> 00:09:07,996 Yeah. 125 00:09:07,996 --> 00:09:13,675 Because all of us lean towards aggression or passivity. 126 00:09:13,685 --> 00:09:15,105 It could be a default. 127 00:09:15,605 --> 00:09:17,895 Sometimes it depends on the context. 128 00:09:19,386 --> 00:09:23,155 In certain spaces, there's a leaning towards aggression. 129 00:09:23,995 --> 00:09:28,945 In other spaces, we're here again leaning towards passivity. 130 00:09:30,185 --> 00:09:37,135 But what the Spirit is forming in the Christian community is a fruit, 131 00:09:37,415 --> 00:09:44,475 these eight, these nine, but including gentleness, that we would be able 132 00:09:44,475 --> 00:09:54,096 to restore one another gently, not with the posture of aggression and 133 00:09:54,096 --> 00:09:59,846 that filter- Yeah … and not with the distance withdrawal of passivity 134 00:10:01,939 --> 00:10:03,389 I'll just pray for you. 135 00:10:03,739 --> 00:10:09,089 Sometimes it's, that's applicable, sometimes not, but the point is the 136 00:10:09,099 --> 00:10:14,779 Spirit wants to form gentleness in us. 137 00:10:15,629 --> 00:10:21,639 In our modern-day imagination or association of gentleness, uh, it's 138 00:10:21,639 --> 00:10:23,829 definitely not viewed as a strength. 139 00:10:24,509 --> 00:10:29,919 It could be viewed as a weakness, as someone is just a nice person. 140 00:10:31,259 --> 00:10:35,509 And we'll s- use, uh, sentiments of charity of s- 141 00:10:35,549 --> 00:10:37,829 there was such a gentle soul. 142 00:10:38,530 --> 00:10:41,399 There, there's not necessarily something wrong with that, but what 143 00:10:41,399 --> 00:10:47,659 I'm trying to recover is sometimes we can associate gentleness and remove 144 00:10:47,659 --> 00:10:49,529 the strength that comes from gentleness 145 00:10:52,382 --> 00:10:52,821 Amen? 146 00:10:55,335 --> 00:10:58,085 So that's where we're at. 147 00:10:58,085 --> 00:11:03,985 In the book, Life on the Line, this chapter is titled Cultivating 148 00:11:03,995 --> 00:11:08,326 Gentleness in the Midst of Aggression. 149 00:11:10,335 --> 00:11:16,775 And the author goes on to critique our modern-day culture, I would say 150 00:11:16,786 --> 00:11:21,485 our modern-day cultures, 'cause there isn't one culture, there's multiple 151 00:11:21,485 --> 00:11:29,486 cultures, and the glorification of these cultures of violence, all the way from 152 00:11:29,486 --> 00:11:34,605 entertainment to our word usage, to our, you know, how we interact with one 153 00:11:34,605 --> 00:11:37,645 another, how we wanna solve problems. 154 00:11:38,155 --> 00:11:44,185 And so the author pins, uh, or describes this permanent tension 155 00:11:45,476 --> 00:11:50,485 between gentleness, what the Spirit is trying to form in God's community and 156 00:11:50,485 --> 00:11:57,925 God's people, and aggression, what the modern-day cultures are forming in us. 157 00:11:59,775 --> 00:12:02,325 There is no violence in the Kingdom of God 158 00:12:04,331 --> 00:12:09,521 There is no manipulation in the kingdom of God. 159 00:12:09,531 --> 00:12:09,571 Amen. 160 00:12:10,422 --> 00:12:16,861 There's no passivity that's embraced in the kingdom of God. 161 00:12:16,871 --> 00:12:16,911 Amen. 162 00:12:18,482 --> 00:12:20,471 So we need gentleness. 163 00:12:20,471 --> 00:12:27,521 Now gentleness is not a halfway between aggression and passivity. 164 00:12:28,431 --> 00:12:32,431 Gentleness is something completely different. 165 00:12:32,441 --> 00:12:32,521 Wonderful. 166 00:12:33,902 --> 00:12:35,931 It's the way of the kingdom. 167 00:12:37,540 --> 00:12:37,581 Amen. 168 00:12:37,801 --> 00:12:46,891 So Paul has described the fruit of the spirit, which includes gentleness. 169 00:12:48,811 --> 00:12:49,491 Matthew… 170 00:12:49,532 --> 00:12:50,281 And why Matthew? 171 00:12:50,282 --> 00:12:52,901 Because in the Spanish ministry we've been studying out Matthew, 172 00:12:52,942 --> 00:12:54,432 so that's the world that we're in. 173 00:12:55,431 --> 00:13:00,031 Matthew uses gentleness as well, and it's the same word. 174 00:13:01,661 --> 00:13:09,372 And so Jesus, in the Sermon of the Mount, He says, "Blessed are the meek," or 175 00:13:09,372 --> 00:13:20,001 another word, humble, or another word, gentle, "for they will inherit the earth." 176 00:13:24,203 --> 00:13:32,453 The filter of aggression hears that, "Meek people inheriting the earth? 177 00:13:34,153 --> 00:13:34,873 What a waste 178 00:13:38,632 --> 00:13:41,132 What's it gonna produce with a bunch of meek people? 179 00:13:41,851 --> 00:13:44,201 What a waste of creation. 180 00:13:45,482 --> 00:13:52,621 Because aggressiveness, aggression does not understand gentleness. 181 00:13:54,551 --> 00:13:57,651 Passivity, I'm gonna get my steps in today, 182 00:14:01,011 --> 00:14:03,681 here's that passage and says, "Great. 183 00:14:04,032 --> 00:14:05,041 We don't have to do anything. 184 00:14:05,151 --> 00:14:08,701 We're just gonna receive it," 'cause they assume they are gentle. 185 00:14:09,271 --> 00:14:10,811 But gentle is not passivity. 186 00:14:12,441 --> 00:14:13,601 Remember Paul? 187 00:14:13,771 --> 00:14:16,951 Paul says, "Restore one another gently." 188 00:14:17,882 --> 00:14:21,771 You can't engage with someone else's struggle in passivity. 189 00:14:23,701 --> 00:14:27,002 So passivity sees itself as a recipient of the blessing. 190 00:14:28,231 --> 00:14:33,101 Aggression sees itself as what a waste of that blessing. 191 00:14:33,901 --> 00:14:40,790 But if we come back to Jesus, His intent in His kingdom is to 192 00:14:40,790 --> 00:14:44,271 form a people that are gentle. 193 00:14:44,471 --> 00:14:49,132 And th- that's just one of the Beatitudes, and He goes on, uh, uh, in 194 00:14:49,132 --> 00:14:53,761 the Sermon on the Mount a- about other, uh, qualities that describe kingdom. 195 00:14:54,731 --> 00:14:57,961 One of the things that we discovered in studying the Sermon of the Mount 196 00:14:58,581 --> 00:15:04,071 was that everything that Jesus is teaching in the Sermon of the Mount 197 00:15:05,801 --> 00:15:08,621 equals to two things: one, who He is. 198 00:15:10,331 --> 00:15:15,821 Everything He teaches in the Sermon on the Mount is a description of who Jesus is. 199 00:15:17,201 --> 00:15:17,241 Amen. 200 00:15:19,431 --> 00:15:20,332 He is humble. 201 00:15:20,842 --> 00:15:21,871 He mourns. 202 00:15:22,251 --> 00:15:23,491 He is salt and light. 203 00:15:24,001 --> 00:15:25,251 He doesn't judge. 204 00:15:25,791 --> 00:15:31,081 He doesn't cr- create, d- do miracles and announce it to be praised. 205 00:15:31,092 --> 00:15:33,131 He does everything for the glory of the Father. 206 00:15:33,132 --> 00:15:39,701 So everything Jesus is teaching, He's also describing who He is. 207 00:15:39,711 --> 00:15:39,751 Amen. 208 00:15:41,241 --> 00:15:41,891 You with me? 209 00:15:43,551 --> 00:15:43,571 Yeah. 210 00:15:43,581 --> 00:15:49,731 He also, in the Sermon of the Mount, is describing everything 211 00:15:49,731 --> 00:15:51,681 His ministry is going to be about. 212 00:15:52,621 --> 00:15:56,451 So everything He teaches in the Sermon of the Mount, He then embodies it in His 213 00:15:56,481 --> 00:15:58,861 ministry through the rest of Matthew. 214 00:15:59,132 --> 00:16:03,601 So the Sermon of the Mount is a lot of things, but two of those is 215 00:16:03,601 --> 00:16:08,372 the description of God's self and a description of God's ministry. 216 00:16:09,561 --> 00:16:10,011 Amen? 217 00:16:10,921 --> 00:16:10,961 Amen. 218 00:16:11,121 --> 00:16:15,341 And one of His formations is gentle. 219 00:16:20,534 --> 00:16:28,353 Later in Matthew in chapter 11, guess how Jesus is gonna describe himself? 220 00:16:29,563 --> 00:16:31,464 And if you've been around James Willis, he'll quote this 221 00:16:31,464 --> 00:16:33,123 scripture every three days. 222 00:16:35,424 --> 00:16:39,353 Jesus is gentle at heart. 223 00:16:39,903 --> 00:16:45,953 Of all the things that God's self, that Jesus could have described 224 00:16:45,953 --> 00:16:49,493 himself as, he says, "I am gentle." 225 00:16:52,268 --> 00:16:57,458 So if you lean towards aggression, you may wanna reconsider 226 00:16:59,168 --> 00:17:00,668 the strength of gentleness 227 00:17:03,788 --> 00:17:10,188 And if you lean towards passivity, you may wanna reconsider that you 228 00:17:10,188 --> 00:17:12,578 may not be embodying gentleness 229 00:17:14,954 --> 00:17:18,065 In that same passage, what is Jesus doing? 230 00:17:18,385 --> 00:17:21,335 "Come, carry burdens with me. 231 00:17:21,335 --> 00:17:23,285 I'll carry them with you. 232 00:17:23,724 --> 00:17:26,145 I am gentle at heart. 233 00:17:26,244 --> 00:17:28,955 Let's do this together." 234 00:17:31,475 --> 00:17:34,225 Aggression depends on self. 235 00:17:35,705 --> 00:17:36,735 I gotta be the hero. 236 00:17:36,735 --> 00:17:37,875 I gotta go make it happen. 237 00:17:38,005 --> 00:17:38,875 I gotta do this. 238 00:17:38,895 --> 00:17:43,825 That's the filter how aggression sees itself and others and 239 00:17:43,825 --> 00:17:45,165 filters God and scripture. 240 00:17:45,295 --> 00:17:46,255 Very dangerous 241 00:17:50,235 --> 00:17:53,416 Passivity does the same thing. 242 00:17:53,946 --> 00:17:54,846 It misses. 243 00:17:55,306 --> 00:17:56,886 It just wants to be carried. 244 00:17:57,226 --> 00:17:58,645 Let others do it. 245 00:18:00,005 --> 00:18:04,585 It doesn't participate faithfully in the mission, in 246 00:18:04,585 --> 00:18:07,105 the life of the kingdom of God. 247 00:18:08,496 --> 00:18:09,505 Are you with me right here? 248 00:18:10,125 --> 00:18:10,155 Yes. 249 00:18:11,246 --> 00:18:15,045 And later in Matthew chapter 21- 250 00:18:19,179 --> 00:18:24,100 A prophet is quoted as Jesus enters Jerusalem. 251 00:18:25,649 --> 00:18:29,440 And of all the descriptions of this prophetic entry 252 00:18:31,763 --> 00:18:37,274 Matthew chooses to describe Jesus as a gentle king. 253 00:18:38,563 --> 00:18:44,943 Your king comes to you gentle, riding on a donkey. 254 00:18:45,723 --> 00:18:50,223 During that time of Passover, people are, you know, in the city. 255 00:18:50,223 --> 00:18:52,363 There's all, crowds all over. 256 00:18:52,734 --> 00:18:54,004 You need more police. 257 00:18:54,093 --> 00:18:55,603 You need more armed forces. 258 00:18:55,603 --> 00:18:58,033 You, you need more of your Roman army. 259 00:18:58,033 --> 00:19:05,823 And so on one side, here's Jesus riding gently on a donkey into the city, 260 00:19:06,703 --> 00:19:13,303 and on the other side of the city, you have the Roman soldiers marching 261 00:19:13,303 --> 00:19:18,113 in on foot, horses with weapons. 262 00:19:19,003 --> 00:19:25,503 The contrast between kingdom and empire coming into the city 263 00:19:28,172 --> 00:19:31,652 So gentleness is a strength. 264 00:19:33,532 --> 00:19:36,152 Gentleness is who God is. 265 00:19:36,152 --> 00:19:36,302 Amen. 266 00:19:37,592 --> 00:19:42,592 And gentleness does not get along with aggression. 267 00:19:44,061 --> 00:19:50,282 And gentleness interrupts deeply the posture of passivity. 268 00:19:51,121 --> 00:19:51,571 Amen? 269 00:19:52,801 --> 00:19:52,841 Amen. 270 00:19:53,081 --> 00:19:55,342 And so let's go back here one slide. 271 00:19:56,871 --> 00:19:58,192 I wrote this, it's God's way of 272 00:20:05,312 --> 00:20:06,202 exercising authority. 273 00:20:06,221 --> 00:20:06,661 Amen. 274 00:20:10,152 --> 00:20:15,841 The Spirit forms us to reflect Christ's likeness. 275 00:20:16,221 --> 00:20:17,772 Is that not what the Spirit's up to? 276 00:20:19,012 --> 00:20:25,902 And so in Jesus, we witness authority exercise without 277 00:20:25,942 --> 00:20:33,651 aggression and without passivity- Right … always for the Father's 278 00:20:33,712 --> 00:20:40,792 glory and the restoration of others. 279 00:20:40,811 --> 00:20:40,851 Amen. 280 00:20:41,941 --> 00:20:50,571 Therefore, the Spirit forms a community marked by gentleness- Amen 281 00:20:51,101 --> 00:21:01,681 that guides, welcomes, restores, and bears one another's burdens 282 00:21:02,181 --> 00:21:07,141 rather than seeking self-protection. 283 00:21:10,422 --> 00:21:11,601 What was the sermon about today? 284 00:21:11,621 --> 00:21:17,531 This is the summary of my study of gentleness, the chapter on 285 00:21:17,531 --> 00:21:21,301 Li- the book Life on the Vine, and the content for today. 286 00:21:22,861 --> 00:21:28,831 So let's talk about our postures before we read Matthew chapter 7 287 00:21:32,150 --> 00:21:36,259 Which one do you lean towards the most, and why? 288 00:21:37,359 --> 00:21:38,520 And how did you get there? 289 00:21:40,069 --> 00:21:45,339 I'm going to assume that you're like me, which means I spend more 290 00:21:45,339 --> 00:21:52,879 time in the posture of aggression and passivity than gentleness 291 00:21:55,563 --> 00:22:00,513 But it's what the Spirit is trying to form in me, in you, in our homes, in our 292 00:22:00,513 --> 00:22:02,824 family, in our fellowship, in our church. 293 00:22:04,813 --> 00:22:09,323 I'm going to venture to say that in this new era of the OC 294 00:22:09,513 --> 00:22:17,343 Church, that we are being led and ushered by God into something new. 295 00:22:18,163 --> 00:22:24,873 Those could be just words, but I'm gonna choose to trust that God is 296 00:22:24,873 --> 00:22:29,724 living, present, and active in forming the OC Church into one faithful 297 00:22:29,753 --> 00:22:34,873 community, three languages, and restoring our relationships with God, 298 00:22:35,264 --> 00:22:38,803 with ourselves, and with one another. 299 00:22:38,893 --> 00:22:42,893 I'm gonna choose to believe that when I stepped into the space of 300 00:22:42,893 --> 00:22:46,813 the OC Church and I interacted, the Spirit is already present and at 301 00:22:46,813 --> 00:22:54,333 work forming us and forming the fruit of the Spirit, all nine dynamics. 302 00:22:55,273 --> 00:23:00,043 And these are, these, the, these nine, uh, fruits, let's say, they're not 303 00:23:00,043 --> 00:23:06,393 this checklist of self-help, you know, things that we need to do more of. 304 00:23:07,223 --> 00:23:13,083 Rather, one, if it's the fruit of the Spirit, that's who God is. 305 00:23:13,243 --> 00:23:15,083 Those are characteristics of God. 306 00:23:15,293 --> 00:23:21,313 As we have already noted, gentleness is a characteristic of Jesus. 307 00:23:22,093 --> 00:23:26,883 He embodies the true, full embodiment of gentleness. 308 00:23:28,863 --> 00:23:29,263 Amen? 309 00:23:30,473 --> 00:23:30,513 Amen. 310 00:23:30,693 --> 00:23:35,413 And two, that He's creating, God's creating a new culture of how we 311 00:23:35,413 --> 00:23:44,703 interact with one another, that we can get back to restoring one another gent- 312 00:23:47,147 --> 00:23:51,597 The challenge for that is not gonna be God, it's going to be 313 00:23:51,597 --> 00:23:56,667 our assumptions, our hurts, right? 314 00:23:57,077 --> 00:23:58,847 And our dominant filters 315 00:24:01,131 --> 00:24:02,411 Something about passivity 316 00:24:05,259 --> 00:24:05,270 passivity 317 00:24:08,534 --> 00:24:11,103 has chosen passivity because it's safe 318 00:24:14,027 --> 00:24:17,357 Um, ch- passivity has chosen to disengage because 319 00:24:20,714 --> 00:24:21,853 I used to be aggression 320 00:24:24,556 --> 00:24:27,485 And I don't wanna be aggression anymore. 321 00:24:28,626 --> 00:24:29,846 Because when I was aggression 322 00:24:32,435 --> 00:24:33,365 I heard a lot of people 323 00:24:36,502 --> 00:24:37,341 I use scripture 324 00:24:39,467 --> 00:24:41,447 that judged people and I regret it 325 00:24:43,980 --> 00:24:49,040 And I was so tired of just being this hero, hero, and ugh, and just 326 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:55,279 who's in, who's out, and all this, ah, that I got so burned out that 327 00:24:55,280 --> 00:25:00,030 I chose a safe space, passivity 328 00:25:02,870 --> 00:25:07,319 challenges with passivity is that now I miss being spiritual 329 00:25:09,853 --> 00:25:14,453 I actually feel alone a lot 'cause I don't have true genuine 330 00:25:14,453 --> 00:25:16,343 friends 'cause I'm guarded. 331 00:25:18,073 --> 00:25:23,293 Often, I actually don't even know what's happening, and that bothers me. 332 00:25:24,973 --> 00:25:27,153 And I wanna blame people, but, eh, whatever. 333 00:25:28,133 --> 00:25:29,923 So I'm just withdrawing. 334 00:25:29,943 --> 00:25:33,943 When I hear aggression, I just get triggered, and I-- and it 335 00:25:33,953 --> 00:25:36,183 reassures me passivity is better. 336 00:25:37,073 --> 00:25:39,353 I don't wanna do that again 337 00:25:42,826 --> 00:25:43,665 aggression 338 00:25:47,275 --> 00:25:51,065 The dominant feeling for aggression is fear 339 00:25:53,868 --> 00:25:54,878 Fear of passivity. 340 00:25:57,058 --> 00:26:00,418 Fear that you, me, all of us will become passive. 341 00:26:00,908 --> 00:26:03,928 So I gotta be full of aggression. 342 00:26:04,908 --> 00:26:06,368 We need to go back 343 00:26:09,011 --> 00:26:10,002 I don't wanna be that. 344 00:26:10,011 --> 00:26:11,091 That bothers me. 345 00:26:11,121 --> 00:26:12,542 They need to change. 346 00:26:14,131 --> 00:26:19,111 For aggression, the priority is you, not God 347 00:26:21,931 --> 00:26:24,491 It's your feeling is what leads. 348 00:26:26,391 --> 00:26:31,011 In fairness to aggression, it's very well-intended. 349 00:26:32,091 --> 00:26:37,141 It wants the passive group to be faithful to God. 350 00:26:38,921 --> 00:26:42,292 And they're active, they're serving, right? 351 00:26:42,581 --> 00:26:47,631 You're caring, you're doing, and you're really frustrated. 352 00:26:48,221 --> 00:26:49,491 Are you even a Christian? 353 00:26:51,301 --> 00:27:00,182 And passivity hears those tones and reads between the lines, and hears some of us, 354 00:27:03,981 --> 00:27:04,231 and, "Ugh, here we go again." 355 00:27:04,231 --> 00:27:08,231 And they're fighting off one another 356 00:27:11,818 --> 00:27:14,308 And once passivity says, "You know what? 357 00:27:14,308 --> 00:27:20,548 I gotta get out of passivity," the misstep is, "I gotta go back to aggression." 358 00:27:24,203 --> 00:27:27,843 And once aggression is burned out, they're gonna go to passivity 359 00:27:30,558 --> 00:27:35,808 Oh, how the tables have turned, or to quote the great Michael Scott, 360 00:27:35,808 --> 00:27:37,788 "Oh, how the turntables have turned." 361 00:27:39,848 --> 00:27:42,357 We gotta get a Office reference there before he dies out. 362 00:27:43,598 --> 00:27:43,638 Amen. 363 00:27:47,966 --> 00:27:51,946 Can we make an assumption that most of us have been in this 364 00:27:54,710 --> 00:27:57,939 Chair movement arrangement 365 00:28:00,703 --> 00:28:04,103 Can we consider how dangerous it is when you read scripture 366 00:28:04,103 --> 00:28:05,873 from a posture of aggression? 367 00:28:08,587 --> 00:28:09,517 You're full of enemies 368 00:28:13,043 --> 00:28:14,063 Everything concerns you. 369 00:28:15,254 --> 00:28:16,034 It's a fear. 370 00:28:17,623 --> 00:28:19,083 You're gonna treat people that way. 371 00:28:20,844 --> 00:28:23,944 It's hard to pray 'cause you, the way you treat others is how you treat yourself. 372 00:28:23,953 --> 00:28:25,024 You're just projecting 373 00:28:28,683 --> 00:28:29,663 That's not a gentle… 374 00:28:31,333 --> 00:28:32,764 That's not what the Spirit is trying to form 375 00:28:35,500 --> 00:28:36,389 and passivity 376 00:28:38,636 --> 00:28:39,956 is also very dangerous 377 00:28:45,292 --> 00:28:46,471 'cause it lacks so much love 378 00:28:49,611 --> 00:28:51,191 The opposite of love is indifference 379 00:28:55,723 --> 00:29:00,513 In passivity, you see your friends hurting, but you already 380 00:29:00,524 --> 00:29:01,943 said nothing for so long. 381 00:29:03,923 --> 00:29:07,163 And then what it starts producing is a, just insecurity. 382 00:29:08,213 --> 00:29:14,403 You cease to learn how to discern because all you do is, "Ah, I don't wanna, I 383 00:29:14,403 --> 00:29:17,713 don't wanna be harsh," so I say nothing 384 00:29:22,924 --> 00:29:29,194 But thanks be to God for God- Amen … that we have a king, that we 385 00:29:29,194 --> 00:29:37,494 have a God who wants to move us out of aggression and out of passivity, and 386 00:29:37,494 --> 00:29:45,433 not switch tables or chairs again, but to embody, to be formed, to be gentle. 387 00:29:45,443 --> 00:29:45,473 Yes. 388 00:29:46,264 --> 00:29:53,984 To have a strength that's not self-reliant or critical and safe, but a strength 389 00:29:53,994 --> 00:29:57,583 that submits to the living, present God 390 00:30:00,460 --> 00:30:07,570 That the motivation of gentleness is not fear, but it's genuine, and it's 391 00:30:07,570 --> 00:30:11,990 not indifference, but it's genuine love for the sake of the other 392 00:30:14,515 --> 00:30:15,675 I carry this. 393 00:30:15,915 --> 00:30:17,295 I carry your burden. 394 00:30:17,415 --> 00:30:18,575 I approach you. 395 00:30:18,675 --> 00:30:24,155 I initiate this conversations, not because of my fear or concern, not because 396 00:30:24,155 --> 00:30:25,715 I, I, this is the right thing to do. 397 00:30:25,755 --> 00:30:29,585 No, it's because God calls me and you to be, to love one another 398 00:30:34,091 --> 00:30:40,601 Because God is forming us to be gentle, to be meek, to have 399 00:30:40,611 --> 00:30:44,231 that strength under God's reign 400 00:30:46,795 --> 00:30:55,576 And if you have a role of leadership, of servitude, first and foremost, thank you. 401 00:30:57,545 --> 00:31:03,775 But could you please consider and be attentive in the next 24 hours 402 00:31:05,942 --> 00:31:11,482 How aggression comes out in the way you view others. 403 00:31:12,591 --> 00:31:15,192 And then when you notice it, pray. 404 00:31:16,042 --> 00:31:16,911 Identify. 405 00:31:17,361 --> 00:31:18,221 Write it down. 406 00:31:18,661 --> 00:31:19,891 What's the root issue? 407 00:31:21,341 --> 00:31:22,291 Talk to someone. 408 00:31:22,942 --> 00:31:27,001 Move into gentleness with the God who's leading you and inviting you. 409 00:31:28,671 --> 00:31:34,101 And again, if you are in this role of servitude or leadership, thank you. 410 00:31:34,761 --> 00:31:40,121 Pay attention to the next 24 hours, and if you notice passivity, withdrawal, 411 00:31:40,132 --> 00:31:46,061 distance, indifference, cynicism, could you be attentive that the Spirit just 412 00:31:46,801 --> 00:31:55,451 provoked you, interrupted you to wake up, oh sleeper, and come to gentleness? 413 00:31:56,391 --> 00:32:03,511 Not go back to aggression, but to engage in a God-centered way. 414 00:32:03,522 --> 00:32:03,562 Amen. 415 00:32:04,081 --> 00:32:08,991 All for the glory of God and the benefit of others 416 00:32:14,870 --> 00:32:21,809 Now to close, let's read how Jesus comes down the mountain 417 00:32:22,499 --> 00:32:25,049 after the Sermon of the Mount 418 00:32:27,563 --> 00:32:32,513 And it's very symbolic that He went up to the mountain like Moses, but 419 00:32:32,513 --> 00:32:35,203 not Moses, because Jesus is God. 420 00:32:35,203 --> 00:32:42,033 And so instead of Moses receives the law, 'cause he's human, Jesus sits 421 00:32:42,033 --> 00:32:47,543 there and reinterprets, gives the true meaning of the law because He is God. 422 00:32:47,553 --> 00:32:48,674 Are you with me right here? 423 00:32:49,283 --> 00:32:53,363 And now there isn't a, a, a Moses that comes down the mountain, but now it's 424 00:32:53,373 --> 00:32:59,453 God Himself, Jesus, that comes down. 425 00:33:00,313 --> 00:33:06,853 And Matthew is very intentional to show us the first actions 426 00:33:06,854 --> 00:33:10,454 of Jesus after His sermon. 427 00:33:11,293 --> 00:33:13,403 And so in verse, chapter 8, verse… 428 00:33:14,543 --> 00:33:15,613 Or we're in 7:28. 429 00:33:15,613 --> 00:33:16,074 7:28. 430 00:33:16,093 --> 00:33:19,833 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were 431 00:33:19,833 --> 00:33:24,233 amazed at His teaching because He taught as one who had what? 432 00:33:26,358 --> 00:33:28,547 Authority, not as the teachers of the law. 433 00:33:28,558 --> 00:33:33,118 Again, the filter of authority for aggression 434 00:33:36,659 --> 00:33:37,319 I'm the boss 435 00:33:39,444 --> 00:33:40,344 We need a boss. 436 00:33:42,244 --> 00:33:42,893 We need a king 437 00:33:45,580 --> 00:33:49,529 The filter of authority for passivity. 438 00:33:50,199 --> 00:33:51,380 Nobody wants none of that. 439 00:33:52,429 --> 00:33:53,429 They're all terrible. 440 00:33:54,980 --> 00:33:56,039 I'm gonna do whatever I want 441 00:34:01,003 --> 00:34:03,003 But the authority should not be condemned. 442 00:34:04,783 --> 00:34:10,902 We should move away from aggression, filter of authority, or the definition of 443 00:34:10,913 --> 00:34:14,053 passivity, but what is God's authority? 444 00:34:14,882 --> 00:34:18,413 So very intentional, Matthew draws this question, "Okay, what 445 00:34:18,413 --> 00:34:20,253 kind of authority does he have?" 446 00:34:20,393 --> 00:34:26,263 And now he's gonna show us Jesus is gonna embody what this authority, 447 00:34:26,263 --> 00:34:28,193 what this gentleness is like. 448 00:34:28,553 --> 00:34:28,943 Amen? 449 00:34:28,943 --> 00:34:29,603 Amen. 450 00:34:29,603 --> 00:34:35,473 Chapter 8, "When Jesus came down the mountainside, large crowds follow him." 451 00:34:36,213 --> 00:34:41,092 Here's number one, "A man with leprosy came and knelt before 452 00:34:41,092 --> 00:34:47,833 him and said, 'Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.' 453 00:34:48,623 --> 00:34:54,023 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man." 454 00:34:54,253 --> 00:34:58,253 I know you've read this before probably, but do you understand what's happening? 455 00:34:59,283 --> 00:35:03,243 God comes down the mountain, and the first thing he does is what? 456 00:35:03,923 --> 00:35:04,823 Touches who? 457 00:35:06,423 --> 00:35:06,514 The leper. 458 00:35:06,523 --> 00:35:10,263 God comes down the mountain, and what does he do? 459 00:35:10,523 --> 00:35:18,933 He touches a man, a human being who is in need, who is isolated, who has likely 460 00:35:18,933 --> 00:35:22,433 made some major mistakes in his life. 461 00:35:22,544 --> 00:35:28,063 And because of this disease that he has, he's been isolated from his community. 462 00:35:31,212 --> 00:35:34,292 So we see the authority of gentleness, the authority of 463 00:35:34,292 --> 00:35:39,982 Jesus that says, "I am willing." 464 00:35:41,542 --> 00:35:43,922 Aggression would interrogate the motives. 465 00:35:45,761 --> 00:35:48,212 Passivity would be like, "I don't know if I'm the one. 466 00:35:48,212 --> 00:35:49,841 Can you get some help from someone else?" 467 00:35:52,107 --> 00:35:52,797 It's not that bad 468 00:35:55,190 --> 00:36:01,890 Gentleness says, "I am willing," touches the man. 469 00:36:03,430 --> 00:36:08,909 Jesus is embodying what Paul wrote before Matthew was written. 470 00:36:09,700 --> 00:36:11,779 Yes, Galatians was written before Matthew 471 00:36:13,868 --> 00:36:16,807 That Jesus is restoring this person gently. 472 00:36:17,758 --> 00:36:20,128 And then he said, "Be clean." 473 00:36:20,128 --> 00:36:22,378 Immediately he was cleansed from his leprosy. 474 00:36:22,788 --> 00:36:27,928 Then Jesus said to him, "See that you do not tell anyone, but go, show yourself 475 00:36:27,928 --> 00:36:33,758 to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded as a testimony to them." 476 00:36:34,227 --> 00:36:36,437 Mark is gonna take us somewhere else with the story. 477 00:36:36,647 --> 00:36:42,378 Matthew just leaves it like this to show us Jesus just preached, "I didn't come t- 478 00:36:42,927 --> 00:36:45,498 to abolish the law, but to fulfill it." 479 00:36:45,507 --> 00:36:47,187 So He heals this man, and what does He say? 480 00:36:47,187 --> 00:36:49,238 "Hey, go fulfill the law." 481 00:36:49,857 --> 00:36:54,658 And if this man were to go to the priest after being cleansed, the priest would 482 00:36:54,658 --> 00:36:58,128 examine him so that he's no longer a danger for himself, he's no longer a 483 00:36:58,128 --> 00:37:01,947 danger for the community, and the priest would come out and shout and declare in 484 00:37:01,947 --> 00:37:04,778 front of the community, "Clean, clean!" 485 00:37:04,778 --> 00:37:07,577 And now everybody can welcome and feel safe around that person, and 486 00:37:07,577 --> 00:37:09,107 that person's no longer in isolation. 487 00:37:09,107 --> 00:37:12,288 That person is now back and restored into their community 488 00:37:15,244 --> 00:37:20,433 Because that's what the authority of gentleness does. 489 00:37:22,054 --> 00:37:25,654 Again, what if aggression were to meet this man? 490 00:37:26,423 --> 00:37:28,994 Or what if passivity were to meet this man? 491 00:37:29,753 --> 00:37:30,444 Guess what? 492 00:37:30,694 --> 00:37:32,354 You and I are this man. 493 00:37:33,574 --> 00:37:37,793 And if we're sitting in passivity and I recognize it, I hope you embody the 494 00:37:37,793 --> 00:37:44,594 humility of this person who goes to God and says, "If you're willing, you 495 00:37:44,793 --> 00:37:48,464 can help me be freed from passivity." 496 00:37:49,674 --> 00:37:55,223 If your filter and dominant instinct is aggression, 'cause you think you're 497 00:37:55,223 --> 00:37:59,123 in some kind of war and you're the main warrior, I hope you have the 498 00:37:59,123 --> 00:38:01,803 humility to go to the true gentle King- 499 00:38:04,299 --> 00:38:09,009 And be, and ask for help because you know you don't wanna be passive, 500 00:38:09,009 --> 00:38:10,100 and you're right about that. 501 00:38:10,529 --> 00:38:11,799 But you can't stay here 502 00:38:15,083 --> 00:38:17,573 And you can be cleansed as well. 503 00:38:17,943 --> 00:38:19,283 Jesus continues. 504 00:38:20,693 --> 00:38:26,233 Verse eight, "Then the centurion replied, 'Lord, I do not deserve to have you…'" 505 00:38:26,233 --> 00:38:26,683 Oh, sorry. 506 00:38:26,943 --> 00:38:27,693 Uh, where am I? 507 00:38:29,113 --> 00:38:35,673 Um, verse five, "When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion, a Roman 508 00:38:35,683 --> 00:38:38,783 soldier, came to him asking for help. 509 00:38:38,783 --> 00:38:44,303 'Lord,' he said, 'my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering ter- terribly.' 510 00:38:44,773 --> 00:38:47,963 Jesus said to him, 'I shall come and heal him.'" 511 00:38:48,343 --> 00:38:49,343 Say what? 512 00:38:52,841 --> 00:38:53,872 What did Jesus say? 513 00:38:55,988 --> 00:39:04,637 As a Jewish rabbi, I am willing to go into the home of a Gentile family. 514 00:39:05,647 --> 00:39:12,097 Not only that, the home of a servant of one of the military leaders that's 515 00:39:12,097 --> 00:39:13,948 hindering and hurting my people. 516 00:39:13,958 --> 00:39:13,968 Mm. 517 00:39:15,267 --> 00:39:17,988 Didn't Jesus not just preach love your enemies? 518 00:39:18,737 --> 00:39:24,047 And so he's embodying everything that he just taught. 519 00:39:25,618 --> 00:39:27,687 Gentleness is willing to go 520 00:39:30,252 --> 00:39:32,612 Passivity says, "I'll get around to it. 521 00:39:34,562 --> 00:39:36,902 I know, I know, I know I can do better. 522 00:39:36,902 --> 00:39:37,252 I know 523 00:39:41,214 --> 00:39:45,164 And three days later you're mad at something, disappointed and bored 524 00:39:46,144 --> 00:39:47,834 'cause you've not engaged spiritually 525 00:39:50,227 --> 00:39:54,227 waiting for the answer to come, for the program to be created, 526 00:39:54,488 --> 00:39:55,807 for someone to carry you 527 00:40:01,516 --> 00:40:07,046 Aggression, I don't even know if aggression would approach Jesus, 'cause 528 00:40:07,056 --> 00:40:11,896 aggression tends to have all the answers, and it's usually someone else's fault 529 00:40:12,796 --> 00:40:15,106 that they have to fix and repair. 530 00:40:16,905 --> 00:40:21,556 But we see the embodiment of gentleness right here, the Jesus 531 00:40:21,556 --> 00:40:23,766 that's willing to go, and then surprise 532 00:40:27,307 --> 00:40:30,707 The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come 533 00:40:30,707 --> 00:40:36,217 under my roof, but just say the word and my servant will be healed. 534 00:40:36,807 --> 00:40:41,427 For I myself am a man under authority with soldiers un- under me. 535 00:40:41,867 --> 00:40:45,868 I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes, and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. 536 00:40:46,477 --> 00:40:48,907 And when I say to my servant, 'Do this,' he does it." 537 00:40:49,277 --> 00:40:53,528 When Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those following Him, 538 00:40:53,547 --> 00:40:58,387 "Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 539 00:40:59,137 --> 00:41:04,988 I say to you that many will come from the east and from the west and will take their 540 00:41:04,988 --> 00:41:09,837 places at the feast of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the, in the kingdom of heaven. 541 00:41:10,117 --> 00:41:13,797 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside into the 542 00:41:13,807 --> 00:41:17,467 darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of the teeth." 543 00:41:17,488 --> 00:41:19,767 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! 544 00:41:21,027 --> 00:41:24,737 Let it be done to you as you have believed it would." 545 00:41:25,057 --> 00:41:28,787 And the servant was healed at that moment. 546 00:41:30,017 --> 00:41:31,578 Aggression would've seen 547 00:41:33,740 --> 00:41:43,780 This foreigner, centurion, who's profiting under the hardship of his people as 548 00:41:43,790 --> 00:41:46,049 the problem that needs to be solved. 549 00:41:47,440 --> 00:41:52,060 And yet Jesus sees the faith and the humility to the point he 550 00:41:52,060 --> 00:41:57,410 says, "I have not even seen this kind of faith in all of Israel." 551 00:42:00,342 --> 00:42:03,722 Again, passivity would have just let the paralyzed servant die 552 00:42:06,060 --> 00:42:07,700 It's just a consequence of the system 553 00:42:12,150 --> 00:42:13,390 Gentleness is different. 554 00:42:14,759 --> 00:42:15,339 Are you with me? 555 00:42:15,339 --> 00:42:16,810 You guys need a little more energy here? 556 00:42:16,820 --> 00:42:17,230 Are we- Yeah. 557 00:42:17,959 --> 00:42:18,759 We're almost done. 558 00:42:19,940 --> 00:42:20,369 Okay? 559 00:42:21,289 --> 00:42:21,839 You're good? 560 00:42:21,850 --> 00:42:27,169 Verse 14, "When Jesus came to Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law 561 00:42:27,199 --> 00:42:28,719 lying in bed with a fever. 562 00:42:29,419 --> 00:42:34,409 He touched her and he, and the fever left her, and she got 563 00:42:34,419 --> 00:42:37,570 up and began to wait on him." 564 00:42:39,339 --> 00:42:42,110 So now it's a woman, an elderly woman. 565 00:42:43,689 --> 00:42:48,010 And when you read this, that she's healed, it doesn't mean, okay, now, 566 00:42:48,029 --> 00:42:50,579 you know, cook us some food, lady. 567 00:42:50,669 --> 00:42:51,810 That's not what it means. 568 00:42:53,199 --> 00:42:57,839 But it means when God helps us, we start serving God. 569 00:43:02,828 --> 00:43:08,238 So in recap of these three very intentionally placed miracles as God 570 00:43:08,248 --> 00:43:16,448 descends from the mountain is a Jewish man isolated from his community now 571 00:43:17,098 --> 00:43:21,397 guided to be connected to his community 572 00:43:23,820 --> 00:43:27,420 Two, Gentiles or foreigners that are what? 573 00:43:27,580 --> 00:43:34,920 That are welcomed into the Kingdom of God and their faith is honored as they are. 574 00:43:35,070 --> 00:43:37,860 They don't have to become a Jewish faith to have faith. 575 00:43:38,039 --> 00:43:42,239 They can be Gentiles and have faith as Gentiles, and we see the 576 00:43:42,240 --> 00:43:45,500 welcome of the foreigner by Jesus. 577 00:43:45,820 --> 00:43:51,969 And the third most marginalized group in this society was elderly women, widows, 578 00:43:52,250 --> 00:43:57,040 that are now restored into life-giving into their homes where they can faithfully 579 00:43:57,040 --> 00:44:00,639 participate in the Kingdom of God 580 00:44:03,636 --> 00:44:04,636 Let's close. 581 00:44:05,596 --> 00:44:10,526 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to 582 00:44:10,526 --> 00:44:15,366 him, and he drove the spirits with a word and healed the sick. 583 00:44:16,616 --> 00:44:17,785 And this is where we're gonna land. 584 00:44:17,785 --> 00:44:22,686 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah. 585 00:44:23,196 --> 00:44:28,875 He took up our infirmities and he bore our diseases. 586 00:44:29,915 --> 00:44:38,255 In other Gospels, this quotation of Isaiah 53 is mainly associated 587 00:44:38,256 --> 00:44:40,426 with Jesus on the cross. 588 00:44:40,796 --> 00:44:41,476 You with me? 589 00:44:41,875 --> 00:44:42,055 Yeah. 590 00:44:42,165 --> 00:44:43,695 But not so for Matthew. 591 00:44:44,456 --> 00:44:50,525 For Matthew, He took up our infirmities and He bore our sins is not associated 592 00:44:50,526 --> 00:44:56,335 with Jesus on the cross only, but mainly it's associated with the ministry of Jesus 593 00:44:58,860 --> 00:45:01,009 Is Jesus on the cross right now? 594 00:45:01,380 --> 00:45:02,030 No. 595 00:45:02,390 --> 00:45:05,810 Is Jesus present, living and active in his ministry? 596 00:45:06,080 --> 00:45:07,339 Yes. 597 00:45:07,339 --> 00:45:08,669 Yes. 598 00:45:08,669 --> 00:45:11,530 In fact, that's one of the main themes of Matthew, God with us. 599 00:45:11,539 --> 00:45:14,720 So what is God up to right now among us? 600 00:45:15,460 --> 00:45:19,009 He's taking up our infirmities and he's bearing our disease. 601 00:45:19,020 --> 00:45:19,759 What is he doing? 602 00:45:19,930 --> 00:45:22,339 He's leading us gently. 603 00:45:23,280 --> 00:45:23,310 Yes. 604 00:45:23,319 --> 00:45:23,359 Amen. 605 00:45:23,829 --> 00:45:24,629 So aggression. 606 00:45:26,129 --> 00:45:27,680 Don't wait for the big sign. 607 00:45:28,829 --> 00:45:32,039 He comes to you in a gentle whisper 608 00:45:36,220 --> 00:45:36,780 Passivity. 609 00:45:37,999 --> 00:45:38,820 Life is short. 610 00:45:39,669 --> 00:45:40,619 Time is short Yeah. 611 00:45:42,339 --> 00:45:45,869 Remember the lo- the love God has for you Mm. 612 00:45:47,339 --> 00:45:50,910 And the love deep down you have for God 613 00:45:53,132 --> 00:45:54,942 You don't need to go back to aggression. 614 00:45:55,502 --> 00:46:01,232 You can embody gentleness for the glory of the Father and for the 615 00:46:01,232 --> 00:46:05,102 sake and restoration of others 616 00:46:07,285 --> 00:46:09,255 We're gonna say a prayer to take communion. 617 00:46:09,475 --> 00:46:14,135 Here I have three questions for you to just think about as you take communion. 618 00:46:14,165 --> 00:46:18,055 I'm gonna pray, the questions will be up there, we'll play some reflection 619 00:46:18,055 --> 00:46:20,046 music, you can take communion. 620 00:46:20,345 --> 00:46:23,145 After that, we'll have, uh, our offering. 621 00:46:24,296 --> 00:46:28,645 Gentleness is one of the fruits the Spirit is forming in us. 622 00:46:29,815 --> 00:46:33,365 Gentleness is different from both aggression and passivity. 623 00:46:33,865 --> 00:46:37,565 As you reflect on today's message, can you really think 624 00:46:37,565 --> 00:46:40,846 about what interrupted you today? 625 00:46:41,645 --> 00:46:45,105 Not from the speaker, but from the scriptures, from the message. 626 00:46:47,386 --> 00:46:54,005 Two, where do you notice your own tendencies towards aggression or passivity 627 00:46:54,046 --> 00:46:58,865 in contrast to God's way of gentleness? 628 00:46:58,905 --> 00:47:00,245 Can you do some inventory? 629 00:47:01,255 --> 00:47:06,235 And im- very important second question to this one is, what impact has that 630 00:47:06,235 --> 00:47:09,955 contrast had on your relationships? 631 00:47:12,716 --> 00:47:16,655 You lean towards aggression, what impact has it had on your relationship? 632 00:47:16,665 --> 00:47:18,356 You lean towards passivity, same. 633 00:47:18,886 --> 00:47:23,096 And finally, the Spirit is cultivating the fruit of 634 00:47:23,105 --> 00:47:26,316 gentleness in our church community. 635 00:47:27,176 --> 00:47:33,445 How might the Spirit be inviting you to participate in that formation? 636 00:47:34,695 --> 00:47:38,695 Choose one of these questions, or like we like to say in the Spanish ministry, 637 00:47:38,695 --> 00:47:41,316 which of these questions has chosen you? 638 00:47:42,645 --> 00:47:48,135 Let's pray, let's meditate, and take communion as you finish your reflection. 639 00:47:49,015 --> 00:47:53,715 God, we're so grateful that you are living, present, and active in our 640 00:47:53,716 --> 00:48:00,135 lives, that you do not abandon us in our postures of aggression, that you do not 641 00:48:00,135 --> 00:48:04,405 judge us or ignore us in our postures of passivity, but that you come to us, 642 00:48:05,105 --> 00:48:11,595 and you call us, and you summon us, and you invite us to carry the burden with 643 00:48:11,595 --> 00:48:14,675 you, to participate in this formation. 644 00:48:16,175 --> 00:48:21,855 God, as we see the examples of the embodiment of gentleness in Jesus, 645 00:48:21,855 --> 00:48:27,705 help us to see what true leadership is like in Scripture and how you call 646 00:48:27,705 --> 00:48:30,625 us to restore one another gently. 647 00:48:31,985 --> 00:48:36,255 As you have chosen maybe one of these questions for us, help us to take to 648 00:48:36,265 --> 00:48:41,455 heart what you are saying, to be attentive to your interruptions in the next 24 649 00:48:41,455 --> 00:48:44,045 hours, and to make decisions, God. 650 00:48:44,105 --> 00:48:45,535 Thank you for the OC Church. 651 00:48:45,555 --> 00:48:48,775 Bless this ongoing new era. 652 00:48:49,646 --> 00:48:57,235 May we leave behind domination of passivity or the domination of aggression. 653 00:48:58,025 --> 00:49:03,165 May we embody the courage and the strength of gentleness. 654 00:49:03,875 --> 00:49:04,725 We love you, God. 655 00:49:04,775 --> 00:49:05,805 It's in Jesus' name we pray. 656 00:49:06,436 --> 00:49:06,786 Amen.