Keep in Step with the Spirit

Context

Theme “Growing Together”

Paul was a missionary apostle — appointed by the risen Christ to share the good new of reconciliation with God and new and eternal life through Christ with the Gentile world, the non-Jewish Roman empire.

He traveled and preached and founded churches. After establishing a congregation he would continue his journeys and write letter back to the congregations behind him to give them guidance and encouragement.

This was an essential part of his ministry, because churches in the first century were the first to ever exist and they needed to figure out lots of stuff.

The letter of Paul are meaningful to us because although we are an established congregation, we are entering a new chapter of congregation life — combined worship, education, fellowship — and we will feel like a new congregation, face some similar challenges. Will benefit from Paul’s guidance.

Today our reading comes from Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia, chapter 5. Paul has previously reminded the congregation that they are saved by faith through the grace of God. There is no need for them to adopt the ritualistic codes from the Old Testament. Faith in Christ is sufficient.

However, some congregation members might construe this to mean that they no longer had to strive to obtain the moral virtues either. Paul wants to guard them from that.

Galatians 5:13–25 NRSV

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. 14 For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. 16 Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 And 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 be guided by the Spirit.

Illumination

Your word, O God, reveals your will for our lives. By the power of your Holy Spirit, give us each the wisdom to attend to your call every day, and make us ready to hear and obey. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Introduction

At the mission trip. Wayde did amazing job keeping our program going. Point by point, step by step.

One of my tasks as pastor, was trying to sense how the spirit was among us. Where we needed to be on guard against a worldly or fleshly view of things, where God might be calling us into an experience of Christ.

Our team mates, tuned in to Christ. A joy to share that experience with them.

One that we can share in as a congregation.

Exegesis

Paul reminds the Galatians that to be Christian is to have received a new nature from God through Christ.

Christ died for sin so that united to Christ we too might die to sin and live in newness of life. A life of love for God and others, like Jesus’ own life.

This life was enabled in them by the power of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent after he resurrection to be within all his people.

So, the Christians were freed from the obligations of the Mosaic Law, but not freed to descend into vice, to live according to their old nature, the sinful nature Christ died for. Rather, they were to live according to the Holy Spirit, full of virtue and love for God and love for one another.

That is what he means by being “free.” The Galatians were freed by the death and resurrection of Christ, from their old nature. Their lower, fleshly nature. They were called to live according to their spiritual, higher nature, the character of Christ in them.

The difference between the two ways of life are obvious.

To live according to the lower nature

list vices.

English Standard Version Chapter 5

sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,  idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,  envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.

Destroys community.

You will bite and devour one another, until you consume one another, you aren’t there anymore.

To live according to the spiritual nature.

list virtues.

English Standard Version Chapter 5

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control

Builds community.

Against these things, there is no law. In other words, there is no limit and nothing to stop you.

Paul emphasizes for them that the two natures within them are in conflict with one another.

English Standard Version Chapter 5

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.

It is not easy to be a Christian. It is not easy to live according to the Spirit.

One must make a conscious choice and commitment.

put to death the old nature. Crucify along with Christ.

Confessing sin to Christ and one another and abandoning it (like Christ on the cross, labelled and abandoned; like the penitent thief confessing to Jesus)

Fasting, like Jesus was starved and thirsty on the Cross.

penance to correct the behavior, commending Mary to John and John taking her into his house.

Keep in step with the spirit

Practicing Christ’s characteristics. Gifts of the spirit — these are communal and much more a testimony of being saved in Christ.

Not tongues, and healings, and prophecies…but community virtues.

Interpretation

Each of us should be striving to put down the lower nature and growing in our nature that is tied to Christ.

It is not about being “religious” or adhering to ethical and moral requirements in order to belong to the church.

it is about already belonging to Christ and therefore growing as much as possible in the spiritual freedom to be like him. To be more and more fit for the kingdom of God that he is calling us into.

This call is true for each of us individually.

Also applies to us as a congregation.

Individual holiness and congregational holiness.

Congregational holiness, like personal holiness, is not easy to achieve.

We have to desire it and choose it together.

On the one hand there will always be the temptation to give in to our lower nature. To let immorality, strife, jealousy, anger, envy, division, take over. That is especially true when we are growing as a church and things get stressful.

feels like getting but, biting.

results in: cliques, factions. Failing congregation.

On the other had, there is the calling to keep in step with the Spirit. To deliberately choose to put down the lower nature and obey the promptings of the spirit. To cultivate love, joy, peace, patience…And these things lead a church to grow to the fullness that God desires.

It feels like we are on a tool, bright future, no limit.

results in: Can’t wait to be at church, with my church family.

As we seek to grow our programming, we must be sure that we are growing our Christ character. That is what God really wants from us. To grow like Christ together.

Application

Personal commitment to keep in step with the spirit personally and at at church.

Personally

Pick a virtue need to work on. Focus on it at church.

How will new situation invite me to grow like Christ?

What virtue to d you see needed in our congregation?

Focus on being a part of its emergence.

Growing as a church: not about the programming, it is about being Christ’ s people together.

Conclusion

Mission trip powerful experience of being in step with the spirit.

Congregational life an experience of being in step with the spirit.

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

We pray now in Jesus’ name for the church, the world, and all who are in need, saying,

Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Holy God of healing and peace, we thank you for life and health; for morning and evening; for rain and sun; for all you give us to sustain life; and most of all for Jesus, who died and rose again to make real the promise of new life.

Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

We ask, O God, for a church that ministers every day to bring people together in your name, for hearts that will not judge, for minds that recognize injustice and oppression in all its forms, for hands that are open to answer your call.

Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Merciful God, the nations you have called into being are many and full of marvels. We pray for their well-being; for leaders and workers; teachers and soldiers; scholars, artists, parents, and peacemakers; for nations and peoples in strife, especially for N.; that your way be known in all the lands and joy may reign.

Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Turn our hearts, Holy One, to respect and honor those who are not like us; let us see in peoples of every nation the majesty of your desire for richness and difference.

Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

We pray for bodies and spirits healed, for those who are in pain, for those awaiting surgery, for those who are struggling with physical therapies, for those awaiting death, and for those we name now aloud or silently … [silence]

Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

We ask your special blessing, O God, on the children in our communities, for their play and work in this summertime to give them strength and renewal; for an ever-increasing opening of their minds, new ways of seeing,