“The Best Fruit”
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Bible Passage
Bible Passage
13 For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.
16 I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Hook (Grab Attention)
Hook (Grab Attention)
Illustration
Illustration
We giveaway fruit once a month at my work.
People are always looking for the good fruit…the fruit that is in the best condition.
The best fruit is always sweet to taste, and a true delight.
Book
Book
INTRO:
INTRO:
Throughout this entire passage, Paul is FOR OUR FREEDOM
Flesh vs Spirit
Bible Passage
Bible Passage
13 For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.
Explanation
Explanation
“serve one another through LOVE”
The law is fulfilled in one statement:
“Love your neighbor as yourself”
How do you want to be loved??
If you desire the love of Jesus for yourself, give the love of Jesus to those around you, ESPECIALLY to the household of faith!
15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.
Explanation
Explanation
“bite and devour”
“bite”= to hurt; tearing with the teeth
“devour” = to cause extensive destruction or ruin”
These are BOTH rooted in OPINIONS of methods or way of living…
Do NOT be the type of person who bites or gnaws on people just because they are not like you.
Those who are not FOR the gospel or for GOSPEL EXPANSION are people to be “marked” and notes are to be taken of them, in wisdom for the sake of God’s people.
You may say, I don’t know about that Pastor Matt…that seems a little harsh towards other people…
Let’s look at the Word of God…
17 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you learned. Avoid them, 18 because such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites. They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words.
“to watch out”
“skopeo” =
to watch carefully — to be vigilant, be on the lookout or be careful.
When folks pretend or are fooling themselves with regard to the Gospel…
SCOPE THEM OUT and KEEP NOTES
When folks are BEHAVING CONTRARY to the “teaching that you learned”…
SCOPE THEM OUT and KEEP NOTES
The “teaching that you learned” is:
The Good News of Jesus Christ being taken to every tribe tongue and nation!
This is something to be CELEBRATED
NOT something to be mourned over…
16 I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Verses 19 & 20
“Works of the flesh” vs “Fruit of the Spirit”
“works” = workmanship; toil; works of industry
Things that you work to practice and practice to work!
“Fruit” = a deed understood as if the natural fruit produced by a plant or tree
Trees do NOT STRAIN to bear fruit…they just bear it by their very nature…
When you see someone STRAINING to BEAR FRUIT, something ain’t right…
The Christian should resemble a fruit tree, not a Christmas tree! For the gaudy decorations of a Christmas tree are only tied on, whereas fruit grows on a fruit tree.
John Robert Walmsley Stott (English Preacher)
They are TRYING to be something they are NOT.
They are trying to fake it til they make it…
Which they will NEVER do.
An ORANGE tree, CANNOT bear ORANGES, unless there is ORANGE DNA in that TREE…
In the same way, a person CANNOT BEAR THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT without the DNA OF THE HOLY SPIRIT HAVING BEEN FUSED INTO THEIR DEATH, CAUSING THEM TO BE RESURRECTED TO NEW LIFE IN CHRIST!!
Now…Let’s run through these PLAIN EXAMPLES:
Verse 19:
“Now the WORKS OF THE FLESH are OBVIOUS”:
“sexual immorality”
“porneia” = encompasses every type of sexual sin that you can imagine
Not merely lust, but even fornication (sex outside of the Biblical marriage covenant)
“moral impurity”
dirty and impure in physical actions and way of thinking…
“promiscuity”
indulgence in sensual pleasure unrestrained by convention or morality
aka = wide open to sexual things, through every means available
“idolatry”
the worship of a material representation of a deity.
Most times, people idolize THEMSELVES, and seek out any god that will give them more access to PLEASE THEMSELVES, until they become a god unto themselves.
worshipping anything in place of YHWH
What do you pay the most attention to?
Where do you spend the most time?
What or whom do you think about most?
If God is only REAL to you when you decide to think about Him, He is not your Lord and Savior, He is merely one among your many concubines, whom you call to yourself when you want a bit of satisfaction.
Jesus is NOT your concubine, He should be your greatest love and obsession…
Are you in love with Jesus or with the world and what you have going on or how you’re feeling that day??
“sorcery”
magic; making of potions; drugs; spells
Anything that you attempt to get on your own, going around what Jesus has permitted and provided for, is witchcraft.
This is EXACTLY what spells are…
I will get what I want, when I want it, and precisely HOW I want it…
MANIPULATION is witchcraft…
stop trying to manipulate people to gain results for yourself…
“hatreds”
a state of deep-seated ill-will
hostility
“strife”
bitter conflict; violent dissension
“jealousy”
a greedy or prideful longing for something that belongs to another; even the intangible, such as a skill
rivalry
“outbursts of anger”
feeling of intense anger
passionate RAGE
“selfish ambitions”
a strong drive for “personal success” without moral inhibitions
SELF- PROMOTING to others
SELF-POSITIONING
SELF-PROJECTING
“how can I progress and further MY PLANS to be AWESOME in other people’s eyes?”
In the secular world
In ministry
“Climbing ladders”
the Kingdom of God is never about “climbing the ladders” of manmade institutions.
these “ladders” are built on the OPINIONS OF MAN
If you want to “go further up” in the Kingdom of God, you must “go further down” in humility and love.
The Kingdom of God isn’t about building our own kingdoms…
if it is to you, you WILL be CRUSHED and sidelined until your mind, body and soul are brought into subjection to His Will and Plan for the GOSPEL, not your GOALS…
All we need to do is what God has put in front of us, and to do it with love and humility, so that The Father will tell us one day, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
“dissensions”
discord that splits a group
Expressing and acting out in discord, especially when there is no Godly reason for dissent.
If your dissent is found to be against genuine gospel moves of God, you will be found to be fighting against God Himself.
You will lose. Every time.
“factions”
a circle of people with a common purpose who dissent from another group.
sub-cultures inside the family of God that form because they are angry about a way something is done, because they believe their way is better.
It is a BREEDING GROUND for gossip and dissension and despising leadership.
“envy”
spite or resentment toward the success or possessions of another
“drunkenness”
intoxication; excessive consumption
People can also be drunken on THEMSELVES…
“carousing”
a “Diddy Party”
an occasion for excessive eating or drinking (with moral debauchery normally ensuing)
“and anything similar”
essentially any RECIPE, resemblance, or mixture of these things listed previously
Christian Standard Bible Chapter 5
I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.
These things will be BORNE by the very nature of the born again believer.
They are FRUIT that are manifested in a person, because Holy Spirit is in the person who is in Christ:
“Love”
Loving the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength
Obedience to and Affection for Jesus.
Loving your neighbor as yourself
“Joy”
a deeply-rooted gladness and pleasure
“Peace”
freedom from worry, disputes, or war
“Patience”
longsuffering
patient endurance of pain or unhappiness
“Kindness”
“nice” vs “kindness”
“being nice” is being “playing ignorant of the situation”
“kind” = the quality of being warmhearted, considerate, humane, gentle, and sympathetic
“Goodness”
the quality of moral excellence; especially as a quality that is not stagnant, but actively working itself out
“Faithfulness”
steadfast
trustworthy
the quality of being faithful
“Gentleness”
acting in a manner that is gentle, mild, and even tempered
humility
courtesy for those around you
“Self-Control”
the trait of resolutely controlling one’s own desires (which would produce actions); especially sensual desires
mastery over one’s self, not being mastered.
Look
Look
Application
Application
Which ones look most like your life??
Are you filled with the WORKS or the FLESH?
Are you filled with WALKING in the FRUIT of the SPIRIT?
Are you WORN OUT with WORKING IN THE FLESH??
Are you bearing the fruit of the Spirit?
We do not bear fruit for our own consumption; we bear fruit that others might be fed and helped, and that Christ might be glorified.
Warren W. Wiersbe
Took
Took
Challenge Application
Challenge Application
You cannot FAKE the FRUIT.
You can LIE to everyone else and yourself, but you WILL get tired of holding the mask one day…
Those with spiritual discernment see straight through you anyway. You aren’t truly hiding from anyone but the Truth.
If that’s you, you can drop the mask today and surrender to Jesus as Savior from your sin, self, and satan.
If you are truly born again, and your fruit seems a bit unhealthy or lacking…
Come to Jesus today and ask Him to empty you of your self-centered mindset and to fill you with Holy Spirit, so that you will bear His Fruit, and walk in Him, instead of working in the flesh…
IMAGINE: What would your life look like if it was heavy-laden with the fruit of the Spirit, instead of the works of the flesh??
The best fruit is always sweet to the taste, and a true delight.
PRAYER
