Sermon for Saturday
Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Philippians 4:5
One of the best definitions I ever heard for a gentleman is a man who would never deliberately or knowingly hurt anybody. That covers a lot of territory. It means a gentleman would never resort to violence against family, friends, fellow workers, or even strangers unless the situation were urgent and the provocation highly justified. Nor would a gentleman resort to unkind acts or unpleasant behavior toward any person. A gentleman would also refrain from unkind, derogatory, or abusive language toward anyone. A gentleman would speak no lies, engage in no gossip, and would tell no tales. A gentleman would be a pleasant and comfortable person with whom to spend much time. All the same applies to a gentlewoman. Our text today urges us to be gentlemen and gentlewomen… the word ‘moderation’ is actually the word for gentleness.
The reason why we should be gentle is the Lord’s nearness. We can look at that in two ways. Firstly, the nearness of the Lord reminds us of His gentleness. The Gospels record a life that was perfect in its example of a gentleman. Our Saviour was always kind and gentle to those around Him. He was considerate of all. And as we read the Gospels, we hold in our hands the handbook of being as gentle as we should be. The Lord’s example is near.
But the Lord is near in another sense, in that His presence is always with us. As we allow the Holy Spirit to control and direct our interactions with others, we will display the gentle spirit of the Lord Jesus. We will be careful not to hurt others, either physically, or hurt their feelings. We will be sweet in our words and deeds.
We can also read our text so as to understand that it is the Lord’s coming that is near. If He were to come today, would He find us displaying His gentleness? How thrilling to rise into His presence from a scene we are conducting ourselves as He woulde act!
This world is not a gentle place. But we who belong to the Lord can make such a difference, if we will let our gentleness be know to all men. -Jim MacIntosh