Part 3 - 02-26-19
Title: Men Livin' on Ten Part 3
Teacher: Brother Bennett
Date: February 26, 2019
Attendance: 6
Premise: Understanding and appropriating 10 virtues of Christ Jesus.
Opening Prayer: Brother Crawford
Sermon: Today is the day the Lord has made us give honor and praise to Him. Let us give Him that today, hallelujah! Good morning everyone! It is a joy to see everyone here this morning. Today we will be finishing the message Men Livin' on ten. We will be talking about the last three virtues found in Men Livin' on Ten. These virtues are faithfulness. Gentleness and Humility. Before we get into these, can anyone give me two of the virtues we have already discussed? Brother Steveo? "Peace and Love, Okay." Can anyone give me two more? Brother Eric? "Self-Control and patience." That's four of them can anyone give me the other three? Brother Justin? "Kindness/Goodness, hope, and joy. Amen." Love, joy, peace, self-control, hope, patience, kindness/goodness are the seven virtues of Christ; we have discussed so far. Today we will learn the remaining three virtues found in Men Livin on Ten. Let us turn to Proverbs 3:3-4; (read) "…Do not let mercy and faithfulness leave you…" The eighth virtue found in Men Livin' on ten is 8) Faithfulness;
When we speak of faithfulness, we most often associate it with the context of a marriage covenant, whether in the positive sense of being faithful or in a negative sense of being unfaithful. Without a doubt, when a man and woman express a commitment to one another that will last a lifetime, marriage is one of the most significant examples of faithfulness. Sadly tho, today, more and more people are deciding that faithfulness has a limit and is no longer worth the effort. I don't know about you, but I'm glad the Lord God Jesus Christ is our example of faithfulness. Amen? Amen! There is no better example of faithfulness for Men Livin as ten than in Jehovah's relationship with Israel. Let us read Psalm 98:2-3; no matter what they did, how quickly then turned on Him, or how long they rebelled against Him, God remained faithful. Nehemiah Chapter 9 illustrates this very well. Lets read Nehemiah 9:17 "He did not forsake them…" We also see this faithfulness in Jesus Christ Jesus exhibited faithfulness to both the Father and us, accomplishing the redemption of humankind through his death and resurrection. Jesus stayed faithful to who He is and to His calling to bring us back to the Father. 1 Thessalonians 5:24; (read); As with all the virtues we are discussing, faithfulness is not an isolated event but a way of living. As Christians, we need not merely to do faithful things; we must be trustworthy people. Why? Because He who now lives inside us is reliable, we must be faithful people. Then the result will be faith-filled actions, flowing from a faithful heart. Why is faithfulness so important? Firstly, because people are faithful to the people, places, and things they love. John 13:35; (read); And secondly, because faithfulness and commitment to God will result in the best possible life we can live, never being exempt from trials and tribulations but faithfully walking on the right path toward the image and qualities of Jesus Christ. Let us turn to Matthew 25:14-23 (read); Here we see the consequence of faithfulness. "His Master replied, "well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things enter into the joy of your Master" "Enter into the joy of your Master…" Here the word "joy" means the fruition of joy, bliss. Putting God's blessings to the best use, as our way of expressing our love and faithfulness to him, brings continued blessings, dear brothers. In the life of believers, Men Livin on Ten, faithfulness translates in two ways. Firstly, we will be faithful to God. Lets read John 18:15-17; when reading this passage, we usually focus on the obvious — Peters unfaithfulness in denying Jesus. But let's look at verse is; here we see the faithfulness of another disciple. Two disciples were following Jesus, but only one remained faithful. Most scholars agree this unnamed disciple was John. John is the disciple usually found very close to the Lord Jesus, some times even laying on the Lords's chest. The faithfulness of John is a direct result of his closeness with the Lord Jesus. The closer we are to him, the further we are from self, unfaithfulness.
Dear brothers, no matter who follows or falls away, we will remain. We do not wait for others to be faithful; we lead by being faithful. We do not drop the ball when God's commands are not politically, culturally, or emotionally correct to obey. Our only true motivation for this choice is our love for Him and the knowledge that He always does what is best. As we discussed earlier concerning the Apostle John, this love and knowledge come as we find intimacy with Him. Like John, as we lay in the arms of Jesus, spending time in His word, in prayer, faithful, we grow not only in a relationship but in confidence. His confidence. Hebrews 10:35; (read)
Christians are not called to be successful as the world defines success. We are called to be faithful to God in what He has called us to do. We faithfully live by faith in Him, leaving the results to Him. The greatest reward for the Christian should be the words of God "well done, my good and faithful servant."
Secondly, we will be faithful to others. The virtue of faithfulness is seen in our relationships with others. The people around us will know, we are faithful to God first and foremost, but in our love for God, we are also faithful to them. They will see we are loyal, trust worth, consistent. They will see we can be depended upon that we will answer the call for help. We model God's faithfulness by our lives freely given to others. Our faithfulness to God leads us to love our neighbors more and more. Faithfulness must be a priority, no matter who is watching us. If we genuinely want to influence people for Christ, to be men livin' on ten, then being faithful must be more than the desired virtue; it must be a lifestyle. A lifestyle is chosen, not out of obligation and duty, but out of offering and desire. Why are we faithful? Because he is faithful.
The next virtue of men Livin' on ten is 9) Gentleness. Let us turn to Philippians 4:5; (read); Gentleness is a virtue that looks seriously in culture, especially in prison. Let me ask you a question. Are you known as someone who raises their voice? Someone who is confrontational? Someone who is prideful and defensive? Sadly this seems to be the norm in prison. Gentleness is not a virtue commonly associated with men, especially in prison. Why is this such a struggle for so many of us? Do we believe the practical work of this virtue only works on women? Do we only chose to exhibit this virtue when we see clear gain! A more significant question would be: if Christ dwells inside, then why are we not more gently than those who do not know Christ? I will challenge us with the following; it is because we either do not have a relationship with God or are not growing in our relationship with God. Let us read Philippians 4:5; again. The word "gentleness," or forbearing, used here is the Greek word ep-ee-i-koce; and it means to be forbearing, gentle, thoughtful, considerate; Rather than holly demanding your rights, whatever the cost to others, demanding what we "feel" entitled to; Men Livin on ten let their gentleness be seen by exercising this virtue, seeking peace.
Let us turn to Galatians 5:22-23 (read); We also find gentleness as a fruit of the spirit. Here the Greek word is Khray-stot-ace, meaning goodness, kindness. It signifies not merely goodness as a quality but rather goodness, gentleness as an action. The difference between the word "gentleness" in Philippians 4:5; and Galatians 5:22-23; Notice in Philippians 4:5; the word says, "Let your gentleness (or forbearing spirit) be known to all men." I chose to use this verse as the primary verse for the virtue of gentleness because it highlights the premise of this message, and that is focusing on the inner man. Who is the inner man? (assembly says, Jesus!) Amen. The gentleness spoken of in Galatians 5:23; is the fruit of the spirit, the fruit of the "forbearing spirit" living inside us. We are gentle because He is gentle Matthew 11:29 (read), Christ wants us to become gentle for the sake of others. Christ wants us to be thoughtful, considerate, calm. As men living' on ten, we are gentle by being thoughtful of others. If we lack the virtue of gentleness, people will less likely want to confide in us. As is with the other virtues, gentleness is a lifestyle. We must be mindful of how different this virtue is among men, especially in prison. We must be the action we desire to see in others. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 (read);
Now to our last virtue, 10) Humility, let us turn to Philippians Chapter 2. We are going to read verses 3 through 8. As Christ is the example of humility, it is only right we begin here. When a King descends his throne to serve those he rules and risk his life, it is a grand picture of what humility means. This is exactly what Jesus did. In most kingdoms, the people offer their lives to save the King; King Jesus offered his life to save us. Humility has nothing to do with humiliation. It's not about maintaining low self-esteem or lacking in confidence. Jesus certainly did not suffer from these things, and yet He lived a life of complete humility. Many perceive men of humility as weak, a doormat for others. But Christians who are humble have a strong sense of self-worth and are secure in their identity in Christ Jesus. They do not feel the need to elevate the flesh or their pride. Humility means life is not all about me but rather all about God and others. Solomon sums it up well proverbs 15:33 (read); Humility is the opposite of arrogance, dear brothers. In Luke Chapter 14, Jesus tells a story about a dinner where the guest was competing for the best seats. We find the main point in verse 11 (read); Next to Jesus, the Apostle Paul may have been the most humble man in the Bible. Moses was another humble man. Numbers 12:3; tells us he was the most humble man on the face of the earth. It is no coincidence the Apostle Paul also became one of the most effective men in Gods Kingdom. When we are first introduced to Saul in Acts 7, he is standing over approving the execution of Stephen. In Acts 8, we learn Saul began to destroy the church, going from house to house, persecuting Christians. But everything changed in Act 9; humility came when Jesus confronted Saul on the road to Damascus. Lets read Act 9:1-9; in his humility, what did he learn? Let us turn to Romans 12:3; 1 Peter 5:5; (read); what an amazing contrast! This is the fruit that Christ brings from a surrendered life. Like with Paul, Christ offers us a new life in all aspects, giving us a new identity, John 10:10; (read); Taking us from Soul to Paul. His death and resurrection provide security now and into eternity. Romans 6:4-8. (read). Our newfound knowledge of what He has done for us and who we are in Him produces a humble, responsive, and grateful state of the heart. This will continue to increase as we humble ourselves before Him, as we daily find our life and breath and being in Christ Jesus. Act 17:28 (read);
The continual growth of humility allows us to feel no threat or insecurity in placing God's will and the needs of others before our own. As we learn to consistently elevate others above ourselves, the next step is to care for them the way Jesus wants us to.
We seek to serve all those we are in a relationship. We no longer desire to use others as a means to our own end but instead make it the way of life to ask how we can serve others. We must seek to follow Paul's advice 1 Corinthians 10:24 (read); By doing this, we will see needs we never saw before, speak life we never spoke before, and touch the hearts and lives of those around us — in the same way Jesus has touched ours. This, my dear brothers, is the virtue of humility. The more we immerse ourselves into Christ, the more we experience the abundant life he is, the more we will be men livin on ten. Proverbs 22:4; James 4:10; (read);
There is a great blessing in the virtue of humility. Not just in our lives but through our lives into the lives of others. Jesus humbled himself, and in due time, God the Father "exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name above all names," and he promises to do the same for us.
This, my dear brothers, is why Jesus came, that we may have life, and might have it abundantly. In him, we will be men livin' on ten.
This will wrap up our message of men livin on ten. It is my continual prayer the word will continue to impress upon and cultivate your heart. May we all continue to grow in relationship with Jesus Christ and one another. God Bless
Benediction: Brother Crawford