MEN ALIVE: Jim Cunningham & Paul Estabrooks' Podcast
Programs to help men become transformed to the image (character) of Jesus Christ.
MEN ALIVE: Jim Cunningham & Paul Estabrooks' Podcast
MEN ALIVE 217 - GENTLENESS - Are you a Gentle-man?
We push the envelope further in the second part of this enriching conversation, throwing light on the transformative power of gentleness. We discuss how embodying gentleness, with reliance on God, can make a profound impact on our lives and those around us. Dr. Jim helps us understand the contrast between natural responses and Spirit-filled responses, emphasizing the latter. If you have questions about the teaching presented in this episode, feel free to reach out to Dr. Jim. Let's strive together to manifest the character and image of Jesus Christ in our lives. Remember, a printed copy of the teaching is just a request away at: menaliveuntogod@gmail.com
Welcome to Men Alive, where we examine biblical principles related to becoming conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. I'm your host, paul Estbruchs. Our teacher is my longtime friend, dr Jim Cunningham, a consultant in adult education and director of Go Teach Global, dr Jim.
Speaker 2:Hey, Paul. Do you remember when it was popular to talk about setting goals and objectives?
Speaker 1:Sure do, and I remember we used to debate which came first, a goal or an objective?
Speaker 2:Right. The big debate was between educators and sports enthusiasts. We educators used to state the overall big picture was the goal, such as memorize Psalm 23, while objectives were the short range, specific, measurable steps towards that goal, such as go to bed each night having memorized one more verse from Psalm 23.
Speaker 1:And sports people would say, the overall big picture objective is to win the game, while each goal scored is a measurable step toward that objective.
Speaker 2:It was a continual debate For years. I remember you and I would set personal goals and objectives. One year I decided my goal was to work on the fruit of the Spirit, as found in Galatians 5, 22. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Speaker 1:I remember you, and I divided them into three sets of three. The first three love, joy, peace was our relationship to God. The second three patience, kindness, goodness affected our relationship to other people. And the last three faithfulness, gentleness and self-control revealed Christ's accomplished work in ourselves, or, more accurately, his ongoing work in us. All these characteristics are ultimately integrated into all our relationships. The finished work of Christ is to have reproduced his image in our lives. At that time, the fruit of the Spirit would be fully evident.
Speaker 2:So I decided to work on the goal of developing the fruit of the Spirit. Like a very pious husband, I went to my wife, rita, to see what she thought of my goal. As you know, paul, rita is a gentle natured person, but early on she discovered that my pre-Christian temperament included character qualities somewhat in opposition to gentleness. She would voice her concerns and tell me what bothered her, but if there was no change, she would pray and ask God to change me to become the kind of biblical husband she wanted me to be. One day I made one of those dumb husband comments to Rita. I rather Magnanimously asked her, rita, if I were to change one thing in my character to please you, what would you like me to change? I I probably expectant to hear oh, jim dear, I love you, just the way you are Not. So she's spraying to the offer. There is one character quality I'd like you to work on. Oh, really, yes.
Speaker 2:It's mentioned numerous times in the Bible first Galatians 5, listed as an evidence of the fruit of the spirit. James 3 listed as part of wisdom. First Corinthians 13 as evidence of love and Colossians 3 as proof. We are one of God's chosen people. I looked up the passages and found each one talked about the desired Character quality she wanted in her husband gentleness. I knew that the Holy Spirit had some work to do in my life.
Speaker 2:The more I examine scripture, the more I discovered I am not alone as a man needing to work on being Gentle. For example, the Apostle Peter, before he was filled with the Holy Spirit, came into the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus Just as the soldiers arrested Jesus. Peter was determined to protect Jesus from the soldiers. He pulled out his sword and took a swing at the high priest servant and cut off his ear. Not exactly a gentle response.
Speaker 2:But think about it, men. There is only one way you can swing a sword and cut off a man's ear. You are aiming to cut off his head and the man ducks. Peter was not exactly gentle at that moment. James and John, two of our Lord's favorite disciples, also struggled with ungodly behavior. When these two brothers came to the region of Samaria Before they were filled with the Holy Spirit, they wanted permission to call down fire from heaven and charbroil all Samaritans for refusing to worship Jesus as the Messiah. Not a gentle response. Notice that the same John who wanted to roast Samaritans when he became filled with the Holy Spirit, became known as the disciple of love, a disciple of gentleness.
Speaker 1:Jesus had to teach his disciples to learn from him, for he described himself as gentle and this is a good time to remind our listeners that this is men alive, with Dr Jim Cunningham from Go Teach Global. At the end of the program We'll share how and where you can ask your pressing questions to dr Jim. Where do we find principles in scripture, jim, for how to be conformed to the image of Christ in the area of gentleness?
Speaker 2:Let's begin with Galatians 5 22, when God states something in scripture once, that is significant. If he repeats something twice, that is important. But if he says it three times, then wow, sit up and pay attention. There are not many verses that repeat concepts that many times. So let's note that gentleness is part of the fruit of the Spirit. Gentleness is therefore not something I can create or conjure up on my own. It is not a natural Endowed character quality. It is produced by the Holy Spirit, and one of the evidence that the Holy Spirit is living in me and Filling me and controlling me is not my manifestation of some spiritual gift, but rather the evidence of these nine character qualities in my life, including gentleness. Anger is a natural response of a man. The spirit filled response is gentleness. Now let's move the James 3 17 and how gentleness relates to wisdom.
Speaker 2:Verse 13 says who is a wise man, who is in dude with knowledge. As humans we tend to look at a man with higher education and say he has knowledge, he went to seminary, he has a degree, so he must have knowledge. Or University, so he must have knowledge. But notice how knowledge and wisdom are evidenced by the wise man showing his knowledge out of a good character or Conversation with meekness of wisdom. Wisdom that is earthly will be sensual, devilish and create confusion in every evil work. But wisdom from above is gentle. It will be easy to be approached or, as the King James Version says, easy to be entreated. The wise man will be approachable and will not show partiality. Can you go near a man who is angry? No, you do not want to go near that person as he will not be approachable.
Speaker 2:Now we look at 1 Timothy 3.1, where he lists the character qualities of an elder. The elder must not be a striker, the angry man who fights physically. He will be patient and gentle. Then 2 Timothy 2.24 says the servant of the Lord must not strive or fight, but be gentle unto all men, able to teach all men. This is for all men who want to be a servant of the Lord. Gentleness is one of the key qualities of our Lord Jesus Christ that he wants us to acquire and apply. It's a quality of the fruit of the Spirit, it's an evidence of spiritual wisdom, it's a necessity to be a spiritual leader and it is part of one's relationships as a servant of the Lord. Today, in the English language, with confusion over gender roles. There are over 70 pronouns to describe what we used to call ladies and gentle men. Jesus said learn of me, for I am gentle and humble. Somehow. I think the goal of Scripture continues clearly that we are to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. How? By becoming a gentle man.
Speaker 1:Jim, this is very challenging. What imagery can help us understand the fruit of the Spirit, specifically gentleness? How do we apply it to our lives?
Speaker 2:As Paul knows, I tend to be a visual learner, so work with me for a moment, men. In your mind, picture a fruit tree. It has three main parts a root system that is underground and invisible, a strong trunk that holds up the branches. And then there is the fruit that grows on that tree. Think of the fruit of the Spirit as the character qualities that grow on our tree of life. This fruit is seen by everyone our actions, our habits, our values, our way of life and our character. This is our public life, our fruit. People can sense, feel and see whether we have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The fruit of the Spirit. Next, picture the trunk of the tree as our words.
Speaker 2:Matthew 12.34 says that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Our invisible inner heart speaks out of our mouth. Whatever is in that heart, in abundance. If my heart is bad, bad words come out. This is where the image of the tree gets interesting.
Speaker 2:The entire root system of most trees is invisible, below ground, out of sight. This is where our thinking begins, inside our heart and inside our head. Our thoughts and intents create our attitudes, which eventually become our system of belief If we are going to be gentle men and bear the fruit of the Spirit, we must begin working on the inner man, the invisible man. We begin to have gentle thoughts and gentle intents that produce gentle attitudes and gentle beliefs. That fills our hearts with gentleness. Soon we find ourselves speaking gentle words that eventually lead to us becoming a gentle man and our wives are happy and our friends we are easier to live with.
Speaker 2:The Bible says we must not strive but be gentle with all men. In meekness we instruct those who oppose themselves so that God will bring them to repentance and acknowledge the truth. Fathers, are you showing your daughters a model of a gentle father, so when they date men they will have a biblical role model in their father of how a gentle man should behave? Are you showing your sons how to treat women made in the image of God, with the character qualities of the fruit of the Spirit, as a gentle man? Husbands, are you dwelling with your wife according to knowledge, giving honor to her as the weaker or more valuable vessel, as a gentle man? So your prayers are not hindered? 2 Peter, 3, verse 7. That's our goal for those who set goals and that's our objective for those who set objectives.
Speaker 1:So the ultimate question is how do we move from knowledge to application? I mention this because, in my opinion, christians in our country seem to be suffering from listening and listening but never applying. If you look at a map of Israel, you will see that there are two seas the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. The Sea of Galilee has fresh water flowing in the North and fresh water flowing out the South end, and there is life in the Sea of Galilee. It is healthy and fresh and alive. The Dead Sea receives water at the North End from the Jordan River. It just receives and receives and receives, but there is no exit at the South End and the salty deposits kill all fish and life in the water.
Speaker 1:So thank you, jim, for reminding us today that gentleness that all men need is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, not just something that we can whip up when we feel we need it. I trust that each of you listening will become so full of God's Holy Spirit that your gentleness will overflow and be evident to all. So there you have it, men. God wants you to be a gentle man, and he can help you be just that. For a printed copy of this program's teaching or with any questions you may have email, dr Jim. The email address is menaliveuntogodcom. Menalive is a production of Go Teach Global. For more information and to hear more Menalive programs, go to our website at goteachglobalcom. Until next time, I'm Paul Easterbrooks, on behalf of Dr Jim Cunningham, encouraging you to be menalive, transformed into the character and image of Jesus Christ.
