Oakwood Church
Gentleness - Matthew 11:28-30
Locations & Times
Oakwood Community Church
11209 Casey Rd, Tampa, FL 33618, USA
Sunday 8:00 AM
2 Corinthians 3:18
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
God works in you according to your worship of Him!
Those desiring a gentle spirit must be:
● Aware: Sensitively perceiving the needs and feelings of others.
● Approachable: Graciously receiving others just as they are.
● Affectionate: Compassionately responding with kindness.
● Aware: Sensitively perceiving the needs and feelings of others.
● Approachable: Graciously receiving others just as they are.
● Affectionate: Compassionately responding with kindness.
Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
“I am gentle and lowly in heart.”
The heart, in biblical terms, is not part of who we are but the center of who we are.
Proverbs 4:23
“Keep the heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life.”
“Keep the heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life.”
Three Qualities of Christ’s Gentle Spirit
● Aware: He is sensitively perceiving the needs and feelings of others.
● Approachable: He is graciously receiving others just as they are.
● Affectionate: He is compassionately responding with kindness.
● Aware: He is sensitively perceiving the needs and feelings of others.
● Approachable: He is graciously receiving others just as they are.
● Affectionate: He is compassionately responding with kindness.
1. Aware: Sensitively perceiving the needs and feelings of others.
“labor and are heavy laden”
“labor and are heavy laden”
Exodus 2:24-25
“God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant…God saw the people of Israel, and God knew.”
“God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant…God saw the people of Israel, and God knew.”
What separates Jesus from us is His mindfulness of the moment.
“Children are not distractions from the more important work. They are the most important work.”
— C.S. Lewis
— C.S. Lewis
Gentleness begins with seeing and perceiving the world before our eyes.
2. Approachable: Graciously receiving others just as they are.
“Come to me; learn from me.”
“Come to me; learn from me.”
Jesus is “gentle and lowly.”
“the meek” will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5)
Matthew 21:5 [Jesus the king] “is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey”
“the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit” (1 Peter 3:4)
“the meek” will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5)
Matthew 21:5 [Jesus the king] “is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey”
“the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit” (1 Peter 3:4)
James 4:6
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Romans 12:16
“Do not be haughty, but to associate with the lowly.”
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Romans 12:16
“Do not be haughty, but to associate with the lowly.”
“No impression was left by his life-manifestation more deeply imprinted upon the consciousness of his followers than that of the noble humility of his bearing.”
— B.B. Warfield
— B.B. Warfield
Matthew 11:28
“…all who labor and are heavy laden...”
“…all who labor and are heavy laden...”
Matthew 9:13
“Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
“Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
John 3:17
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”
Proverbs 15:1
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Luke 18:16
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.”
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.”
Romans 5:20
“Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.”
“Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.”
Ephesians 6:4
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 5:16
“From now on, we regard no one according to the flesh.”
“From now on, we regard no one according to the flesh.”
3. Affectionate: Compassionately responding with kindness.
Matthew 8:12
“Lord, if you will, you can make me clean…I will; be clean.”
Matthew 8:12
“Lord, if you will, you can make me clean…I will; be clean.”
Matthew 9:2
“Take heart, my son, your sins are forgiven.”
“Take heart, my son, your sins are forgiven.”
Matthew 9:36
“He saw the crowds, and He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless.”
“He saw the crowds, and He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless.”
His most natural impulse, His most natural instinct, upon seeing the fallenness of the world all about Him, is to move toward that sin and suffering, not away from it.
Matthew 11:28
“Come to me…and I will give you rest.”
“Come to me…and I will give you rest.”
Ephesians 4:32
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted.”
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted.”
KEY APPLICATION QUESTION:
How might the heart of Jesus toward you change your heart toward others?
How might the heart of Jesus toward you change your heart toward others?
Those desiring a gentle spirit must be:
● Aware: Sensitively perceiving the needs and feelings of others.
● Approachable: Graciously receiving others just as they are.
● Affectionate: Compassionately responding with kindness.
● Aware: Sensitively perceiving the needs and feelings of others.
● Approachable: Graciously receiving others just as they are.
● Affectionate: Compassionately responding with kindness.