What would Jesus do?
When Jesus came to earth he came to serve others, not to be served. He came with love to care and heal the sick.
When we get in precarious or dubious situations how doe we respond?
Do we think about what would Jesus do if he was in our shoes?
Do we immediately respond with our reasoning and ego?
Before we jump do we stand back and say, “what would Jesus do?”
Do we let our flesh respond without thinking?
Do we immediately turn to defense mode?
When we get in a heated argument with an individual do we attempt to prove we are right and defend and fight back? Are we dogmatic? My way is the right way? Your thoughts are wrong.
What would Jesus do?
It so easy to loose patience, so easy to defend and fight back. “I’m going to get even!”
Do we respond with our flesh and jump to illogical and irrational conclusions ?
Does our temper take over, do we fly off the handle?
When we are attacked do we feel hurt or depressed?
The scriptures tell us we will suffer from transgressions and attacks and we should grow stronger in faith.
We must remember the evil source behind someone! That the source we should attract, not the person.
If we are verbally attacked do we want to fight back?
We should pray for the attacker!
We as Christians are suppose to follow in Jesus foot steps…
How does God want us to respond?
God warns us about self-control and patience!
Does God want us to loose patience?
When we are attacked by the enemy we must remember we must be doing something right as a Christian….
If we are never attacked by someone we must not be doing things right as a Christian!
A great example of patience is waiting for the end of our life here on earth when we go to heaven.
Does God have much more patience and mercy for us than we do for others?
The scriptures tell us patience is a virtue.
Dictionary; Virtue
conformity to a standard of right.
a particular moral excellence.
Strength and courage.
a commendable quality or trait.
Bravery.
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Hebrews 12:14-15
Do Not Reject God’s Warning
14 Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, for without it no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God, that no one be like a bitter root springing up and causing trouble, and through it many become defiled.
1 Peter 2:20
20 For what credit is it, if when you do wrong and are beaten for it you take it patiently? But if when you do right and suffer for it you take it patiently, you have God’s approval.
James 1:2-8
[ Faith and Wisdom ] Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. ...
Psalm 37:1-7
Exhortation to Patience and Trust
1
Fret not yourself because of the wicked,
be not envious of wrongdoers!
2
For they will soon fade like the grass,
and wither like the green herb.
3
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
so you will dwell in the land, and enjoy security.
4
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
6
He will bring forth your vindication as the light,
and your right as the noonday.
7
Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over him who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
James 5:7-20
Patience in Suffering
7 Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it until it receives the early and the late rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble, brethren, against one another, that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the doors. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we call those happy who were steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no be no, that you may not fall under condemnation.
The Prayer of Faith
13 Is any one among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. 17 Eli′jah was a man of like nature with ourselves and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit.
19 My brethren, if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Ephesians 4
Unity of the Spirit
1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says,
“When He ascended on high,
He lead captive the captives,
And He gave gifts to people.”
9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) 11 And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is, Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
The Christian’s Walk
17 So I say this, and affirm in the Lord, that you are to no longer walk just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their minds, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves up to indecent behavior for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former way of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
25 Therefore, ridding yourselves of falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are parts of one another. 26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28 The one who steals must no longer steal; but rather he must labor, producing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with the one who has need. 29 Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for edification according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.