4 W Life: Walk
Notes
Transcript
Galatians 5:16-25
Galatians 5:16-25
Introduction:
Introduction:
Week 3 in our Series looking at the Mission and Vision of Ascend Bible Church
Week 1: we laid out our vision “To Glorify God by Making Disciples” and how this came from the great comisssion
Week 2: We discussed “why we worship” God & “How we worship” God and we presented the definition for worship = ascribing the praise and adoration to God for who he is.
Week 3: we are looking at our second W Walk. we define Walk = Walk is the daily rhythm of abiding in Christ.
Transition:
- This morning… I dont think we need a crafty illustration beyond the one God already provided for us in his Word.
Walking is an illustration in itself.
illustration:
Who do you walk with? (Family walks, Prayer walks at Southwestway)
Spiritually who do you walk with?
Often when you are walking with someone.... (Holding hand)
What are the things that pull you in different directions.... (People, Career, Things)
Who do you follow? (I follow the Colts)
My heart for each of us this morning is that we can identify areas in our life that we need to let go off..
Grab Gods hand, walk with him..... and experience the fruit of walking with God....
Transition: So our Big Idea is simple this morning…
Big Idea: Walk with God.
Lets just Right in
Read Galatians 5:19-25 & Pray
Read Galatians 5:19-25 & Pray
The Apostle Paul is writing a letter to the church in Galatia
A church full of a mixed bag of people
1. OT Law following Jews who now believe in Jesus…
2. Gentiles who believe is Jesus but have made no understanding of faithful living
In a culture that is giving into every possible fleshly desire
Walking by the spirit.... or Walking by the flesh...
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
The Desires of the Flesh…
Define the Flesh: The Self…
Define the Spirit: a life completely and continuously under the control and the direction of the Holy Spirit
Part 1: Walking by the Flesh
Part 1: Walking by the Flesh
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
The desires of the flesh are against the spirit....
In opposition with one another.
To keep you from doing the things you “want” to do.
Illustration: We limit children’s potential to cause harm to themselves.
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
The Works = The outworking… Do this and this will happen
Evident = The result of .... Fleshly living
Paul is not simply saying don’t do these things… he is saying these things are a result of....
Not walking with God… (by the spirit)
and walking hand in hand with your fleshly desires.
So what is the result of a life of walking according to the flesh?
A constant scavenger hunt for Fulfillment:
we look for satisfaction … when we get a taste of it…
that turns into infatuation…
that often turns perversion. (We warp that we think this thing is fullfilling us) we become consummed
that leads to emptiness.
Paul is trying to illustrate this for the church in Galatia...
He is picking things that are very prevalent in their culture.
Walk according the the flesh and you will … take blank…
If you do not walk with God here is the result…
Sex done according to the flesh..
Sexual Immorality (Pornea)
A. Immorality = outside of Gods design.
Impurity - Opposite of Purity
Sensuality-
Worship according to the flesh...
Idolatry
Sorcery
Relationships according the flesh...
Enmity, Jealousy, Anger, Rivalries, dissension, divisions
Over indulgence
Drunkenness, Orgies
Things like this = walking with anything over God.... leads
What additions would be added to this list Paul be writing if he was speaking to us today?
Walk according to your career....
Walk according to your kids sports schedule...
walk according to trying to keep up with your neighbor...
walk trying to store of treasure in your bank account...
The Fruit of walking in the flesh…
Perversion
Emptiness
Longing for something more that can only be fulfilled by God.
Transition: But there is hope.... we are not meant to walk alone Part two
Part 2: Walking According to the Spirit
Part 2: Walking According to the Spirit
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
How?
Big Idea. Walk with God.
Christians are to ‘walk by the Spirit’ (5:16)
to be ‘led by the Spirit’ (5:18)
to ‘keep in step with the Spirit’ (5:25, niv),
to ‘live by the Spirit’ (5:25),
to ‘sow to the Spirit’ (6:8)
- But again you cant just make this happen…
Those who belong to Christ....
Those who belong to Christ....
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
A. Back to walking in hand illustration (Have you ever held Gods hand?)
B. If not I would love to walk with you through this morning...
Some questions for all of us...
Can you identify how you are walking with God?
How is your time in the word?
How is your prayer life?
What things in your life are helping you follow Jesus? (D-group, bible studies, 1 on 1 relationships)
Why do we even go here… because you do not change fleshly living by just trying to stop it…
You create new habits of walking with God, and God promises it will produce fruit.
Transition:
Conclusion: The result (Fruit) of walking with the Spirit.
Conclusion: The result (Fruit) of walking with the Spirit.
Fruit means its the result of something else.
We often teach fruit of the spirit as if you can do these things apart from God....
Try harder..
This is Pauls Point.. you need the spirit of God to move in your life in such a way that you see this fruit as the result..
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control
Closing Prayer: So we are going to Pray for a few minutes and then I will come back up....
Closing Prayer: So we are going to Pray for a few minutes and then I will come back up....
If you want someone to Pray with you I will be up here in the front...
How is your walk with God?
Grab his hand for the first time....
Do you need to reevaluate other things you are walking with...
are there things you need to stop doing so that God can move in?
are there things you need to step into that encourage your walk with God?
Spend a few minutes between you and the Lord and I will be back up here to close us out.
