GALATIANS 5:22-23 | FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT : PART 4
Notes
Transcript
TEXT: GALATIANS 5:22-23 | FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT : PART 4
TEXT: GALATIANS 5:22-23 | FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT : PART 4
INTRO
INTRO
EXPLANATION: Over the past 4 service in Galatians we have worked our way through the slices of the fruit of the Spirit.
EXPLANATION: Over the past 4 service in Galatians we have worked our way through the slices of the fruit of the Spirit.
We saw the slices that foremost must come from the Lord Himself and be directed to the Lord
Love, Joy, Peace
All of these must come from God and must first be found in God.
The next 3 slices we looked at last week and we saw that they are vital in our interactions with others:
Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness
Christ exemplified these when He was on this earth and they are continually shown to us today!
As we approach these last 3 slices of this fruit of the Spirit, don’t approach them lightly.
They are no less important than the first 6 that we have seen.
They are a vital part of the complete, Spirit filled Christian life.
In fact these last three deal with the vary makeup of the individual.
They strike at the very identity of who we are supposed to be in Christ.
They are to be a crucial part of who we are, so don’t miss these.
Because if there are 3 areas that can be most easily dismissed from the fruit of the Spirit, it is these three areas.
These 3 area are character traits that ought to be a part of every Christian.
It has been seen “Character is who you are when no one is looking.”
It is the “real you”
So, for a few moments this morning, let’s ask the question, when you are most real, are these three areas true in your life?
V.22, FAITHFULNESS
V.22, FAITHFULNESS
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
EXPLANATION: Paul uses the word “faith” here in v.23.
EXPLANATION: Paul uses the word “faith” here in v.23.
But just with the other adjectives that Paul says will be present in the Spirit filled Christian, so is the case here.
Paul is striking at what might be one of the most convicting moments in the book for the Galatian believers.
He is asking them, as they examine the fruit in their life, would they be found faithful?
The answer is clear… it is the purpose of Paul’s writing of the book.
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
The problem was, these Galatian believers had an appearance of religion, but they had not been faithful to the true Gospel!
They had gotten sidetracked and were no longer living faithfully for the Lord!
Over in Proverbs 25:19
Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble Is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.
ILLUSTRATION: In the military, I can think of few things that would be more detrimental that for someone to be unfaithful.
ILLUSTRATION: In the military, I can think of few things that would be more detrimental that for someone to be unfaithful.
When your life is on the line and you are depending on one of your brothers in arms, you better be able to depend on them.
They had better be faithful!
ILLUSTRATION: Getting stuck in the sand in college.
ILLUSTRATION: Getting stuck in the sand in college.
I found out that the GPS wasn’t very faithful!
To this day, I still don’t trust the things!
APPLICATION: We have a lot of GPS people today in churches.
APPLICATION: We have a lot of GPS people today in churches.
Friend, are you someone others can depend on?
Are you faithful?
When you say you are going to do something, do you follow through?
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
If you have trusted in Christ, the Bible says you are a soldier in a spiritual battle!
Can you brothers in arm depend on you?
Are you faithful in serving the Lord?
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
Paul commands Timothy to communicates the things that he has taught him to faithful men… who will be able to teach others as well!
Friend are you faithful?
Are you faithful to your family?
Are you faithful to your church?
This is one of the reasons becoming a member is a big deal.
If you aren’t willing to commit to being a part of the local church, it’s hard for the local church to feel they can depend on you.
I mean, could you imagine taking that mindset into other areas of life?
Your work… “Ya, I’ll be here most of the time, but every once in a while I might want to just test some other places out.”
Your marriage… You’re standing at the altar and you are asked “are you willing to commit to your spouse?”
“I don’t know if I want to commit… maybe I can just pop in now and then…”
Of course you wouldn’t do that at our work or in our marriage… but what about the church?
Are you faithful to God?
You can fool everyone else, but God knows if you are truly faithful to Him.
Do you really spend time with Him outside of just service on Sunday?
Remember, your character is who you are when no one is watching.
Are you truly faithful to God?
Or is it just a show we put on for the crowd?
WE SEE THE SLICE OF FAITHFULNESS
V.23, MEEKNESS
V.23, MEEKNESS
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
EXPLANATION: This is a humble, submissive, and teachable spirit.
EXPLANATION: This is a humble, submissive, and teachable spirit.
Someone described it as “strength under control.”
It is the very word that Jesus used to describe Himself in Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
It is how Paul described Christ in 2 Corinthians 10:1
Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:
As we saw last week with gentleness, this is not a sign of weakness… rather it is one of the most beautiful parts of Christ.
You see it is manifested through real humility toward others.
This isn’t some “I’m nothing” attitude that is put on for a show.
No, in truth the greatest leaders… are servants!
ILLUSTRATION: Jesus demonstrated this on the night before His crucifixion in that upper room with His disciples that were about the forsake Him.
ILLUSTRATION: Jesus demonstrated this on the night before His crucifixion in that upper room with His disciples that were about the forsake Him.
Jesus knelt down before each of them and washed their feet.
And when He was finished He told them in John 13:14
If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
Now, Jesus could have just told them, “real humility is a willingness to wash each other’s feet.”
But that isn’t what Jesus did.
Jesus that greatest leader that ever lived, didn’t just tell them what it was to be a servant… He showed them.
That is meekness.
APPLICATION: Friend, God isn’t looking for weak, frail Christians… He wants meek Christians.
APPLICATION: Friend, God isn’t looking for weak, frail Christians… He wants meek Christians.
He is looking for Christians who can demonstrate strength under control.
Those who don’t just talk about there service or tell others to serve, but are willing to get into the trenches!
If you ever grow too big to serve, you will have grown too big for God!
The truth is, your greatest service is not on a platform with a microphone in your hand… it is in the places where no one will notice but God!
It is serving those who can give nothing in return.
It is selfless sacrifice for others!
And God has much to say about the person who is willing to make meekness a big part of their life!
The Lord lifteth up the meek: He casteth the wicked down to the ground.
But the meek shall inherit the earth; And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Jesus echoed this in Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Paul is setting the stage for the importance of meekness because in Galatians 6:1
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
It takes the spiritual meek Christian to help those who have fallen get back on their feet!
You see one of the reasons so many churches are going the wrong way numerically, is because there are a bunch of people saying “look at me and all I’ve done” and too few willing to say, “look at Christ and all He has done for me!”
Yes, it is easy to have a fake meekness that only shows itself in the presence of others.
But the real fruit of the Spirit is found when no one else is watching!
FAITHFULNESS, MEEKNESS
V.23, TEMPERANCE
V.23, TEMPERANCE
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
EXPLANATION: Temperance is simply self-control
EXPLANATION: Temperance is simply self-control
It is in direct opposition to the envyings, murders, drunkeness, and revellings Paul mentioned back in v.21 of the works of the flesh.
One author said Temperance is “the mastery over one’s desires and passions.”
This certainly has roots in sensual impulses and desires… but that isn’t the only context for which Paul discusses this subject.
Over in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Paul compares the Christian life to a race being run or a boxing match being fought.
He says, “I don’t just run without purpose or punch without intention.”
He was intentional with every stride… he was intentional with every punch!
He purposely kept himself under control… why?
Because he didn’t want to just become another statistic.
He didn’t want to become a sermon illustration of another person who fell off the wagon!
ILLUSTRATION: We’ve all probably experienced this on one level or another haven’t we.
ILLUSTRATION: We’ve all probably experienced this on one level or another haven’t we.
Have you ever looked at a picture for back when you were younger and then looked at a picture from more recently and thought, “What happened?”
You lost a little self control with your Oreos and milk!
Horse riding in West Virginia
I had totally lost control.
APPLICATION: No one wants to be out of control.
APPLICATION: No one wants to be out of control.
And yet so many people end up with a life that is out of control!
As we reach the end of the fruit of the Spirit, if you were to look back over the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit, and realized the lives that both lead to, no one would choose the works of the flesh!
So why is it that so many people end up with a life that is saturated with the works of the flesh?
In many ways it comes down to this matter of temperance.
A loss of self control.
The truth is we don’t just throw away the reins and let loose for a wild ride.
No, it is just a loosening of the reins just a little bit at a time.
Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.
Friend, it is just a little fly that can cause so much damage.
And when you leave temperance behind and you are on a fast path to much destruction.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
As Paul finishes up v.23, he tells the Galatian churches with regard to the fruit of the Spirit, “against such there is no law.”
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
What Paul is saying, when a Christian walks in the fruit of the Spirit, he doesn’t need a law to produce the life that pleases God.
Lord willing, next week we are going to wrap up chapter 5…
But this week as we finish the fruit of the Spirit, if we were to peel back the orange peel of your life and look at the 9 slices of the fruit of the Spirit, would we find healthy fruit?
Or could it be that maybe some of these easier to hide slices have been neglected.
Faithfulness, Meekness, Temperance.
Let’s make sure this morning that we truly are FILLED with the fruit of the Spirit!