If People Like You, They Will Listen to You

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES The Keys to a Blessed Life

If People Like You, They Will Listen to You By Rick Warren — Oct 20, 2015 “Believers shouldn’t curse anyone or be quarrelsome, but they should be gentle and show courtesy to everyone.” (Titus 3:2 GW) Gentleness is a witness to unbelievers. They’re watching you all the time to see if you are any different when you’re under stress. When you respond to pressure with gentleness, it is an incredible testimony to the world. The Bible says in Titus 3:2, “Believers shouldn’t curse anyone or be quarrelsome, but they should be gentle and show courtesy to everyone” (GW). If you claim to be a follower of Jesus, you are not allowed to speak evil of anyone. You are not allowed to be quarrelsome. Instead you must be gentle with everybody, and you must show courtesy to everybody. Does that mean even people of a different political party? Yes. God gave me the gift of evangelism, which means I spend most of my time when I’m not at Saddleback Church speaking to people I totally disagree with. But I believe that you cannot win your enemies to Christ; you can only win your friends. People aren’t going to trust Jesus until they trust you first. People usually don’t ask me if the Bible is credible. They want to see that I am credible. Do I live with integrity? Am I gentle? Am I loving? Am I compassionate? If people like what they see, they will listen to what you say. Here’s the thing: If you actually obey Titus 3:2, you’re going to be criticized by other Christians. They’re going to say you’re compromising. I know this from experience. When I say I have friends who are Muslims or atheists or gay or Democrats or Republicans, they say, “How could you do that?” And they accuse me of compromising. Treating other people with respect does not mean you have to compromise what you believe. Being nice to liberal people does not make you a liberal. Being nice to a conservative person does not make you conservative. Nobody gets it right all the time. I have friends who are Republicans. I have friends who are Democrats. I’m for my friends. Why? Because there’s something more important than politics: Do they know Jesus? “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15b NIV). PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over How are you intentionally making friends from all walks of life so that you can talk to them about Jesus? Why do you think gentleness stands out so much in today’s world? What do you need to do to be better prepared to “give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have”? Our Gift: The Keys to a Blessed Life Study Kit What is the secret to accessing the abundant life God promises? In perhaps the greatest sermon of his ministry, Jesus gives us the keys to the Kingdom; a life of wholeness, happiness, and healing. In this 6-session video study, Pastor Rick Warren examines the Beatitudes and explores the practical steps to lead you to peace and fulfillment in your life, your work, and your relationships. LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren The Keys to a Blessed Life teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: It Depends Who You Depend On Message 2: ​​​​How God Blesses Broken Hearts Message 3: ​​​​The Strength of Gentleness Message 4: ​​​You​r Ministry of Mercy Message 5: ​How To Reconcile a Relationship Message 6: ​Handling Opposition To Your Faith PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at rickwarren.org. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2015 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe