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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for August 11, 2010
“How Are You Doing in These Four Areas?”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Four characteristics of a servant of the Lord.
That’s what I’m going to share with you today, taken directly from Second Timothy 2:24.
As a Christian, you are a servant of the Lord, and these character traits should be alive and obvious in your life.
Consider this a checklist or a measuring stick. You can measure yourself against these four characteristics and see how you are doing.
Second Timothy 2:24 begins like this, “… a servant of the Lord must not quarrel…”
That means there is no bickering or disputing. There is no “war of words.”
The servant of the Lord is not contentious.
Have you ever met someone who just seemed contentious? You say something, and they always jump to the other side of the issue.
I had a man tell me one time, “I’m just playing the devil’s advocate.” I said, “Well, you have all the qualifications.”
Some people just like to debate and bicker. Their day isn’t complete until they have picked a little fight with someone.
A room may be peaceful when they walk in, but when they walk out there is a good chance that the atmosphere will be buzzing with strife.
This is not a characteristic of a servant of the Lord. The servant of the Lord “must not quarrel,” the Bible says.
Do you find yourself in a lot of contentious situations? Is there strife between you and a lot of people? Maybe you think it’s them, but you need to think about this.
Maybe it’s you.
The second characteristic of a servant of the Lord found in Second Timothy 2:24 is this. He must be “gentle to all.”
Have you ever met someone who was gentle to all? They are such a pleasure to be around! I’m not talking about weakness or ignorance, I’m talking about gentleness.
To be gentle is to be Christlike. Jesus said, “I am gentle and humble in heart.”
Second Corinthians 10:1 talks about the meekness and gentleness of Christ.
Galatians 5:23 says that a fruit of the Spirit is gentleness. As the Holy Spirit has His way inside of us, we grow in gentleness.
Gentleness sounds like something for women maybe, or children, but Paul said in First Thessalonians 2:7 that he and the other men, when they were in Thessalonica, were as gentle as a mother with her own baby. Repeatedly Paul said this was a prerequisite for church leadership – they must be gentle.
So…are you gentle? Are you growing more gentle as time passes?
Gentleness is a mark of a true servant of the Lord.
The third characteristic is the ability to teach. Now that may not sound like a character trait. That may sound more like a profession, for people with special training; but there it is, the Lord’s servant must be able to teach.
Actually, teaching can be quite simple. You impart information in a way that the other person “gets” it.
I’ve heard it said that if you know enough to know it yourself, you know enough to teach it to someone else.
This is something all Christians should be prepared to do. If you don’t think you can teach anyone, then it’s time to step to the next level of spiritual maturity.
And the fourth characteristic of the servant of the Lord, according to Second Timothy 2:24, is patience. The Greek dictionary I looked at said “patient of all ills and wrongs.”
So how are you doing on patience?
Patience is a hallmark of the Christian.
God Himself is patient, and is called the “God of patience.”
Patience is a fruit of the Spirit, and the more we allow the Spirit to work in us, the more patient we will be.
If you think you are quite mature, but you are impatient, you are mistaken. The thermometer of your maturity will go no higher than your level of patience.
Our Lord has great patience, the Bible says, and we are to be like Him.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be around people like this all the time? Wouldn’t it make each day so nice?
Well there is little you can do about everyone else, but you can grow in maturity yourself, under the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit.
And Second Timothy 2:24 can be a good measuring stick of how you’re doing – for the Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be gentle to all, able to teach, and patient.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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