Walking in the Spirit

Introduction

Where We Have Been In Sermon Series.

What the Sermon is Not About

The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive Walking in the Spirit

When we talk about love and joy and peace and patience, we’re not talking about, “How are we going to import and pull in these foreign objects into our hearts because we have so little love, so little joy, so little peace, so little patience, and so on?” No.

Illustration: Growing into Salvation

In any really dynamic Christian there is a fight going on.

Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

Explain , , concept of Flesh.

there are two natures in every Christian: the flesh or the sinful nature, and the Spirit.

So you can take a word and use it not just univocally but equivocally: bald head, bald statement

Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

The flesh list in vv. 22-24 are not just bodily.

dWhen he says the flesh, he’s talking about the bent of the whole person: body, soul, and spirit; mind, will, and emotions … the inclination the whole person still has toward a life of rebellion against God

Illustrate: The Old Fight and the New Fight

Before you were Christian there was a struggle in your life. You were fighting with God. You didn’t know you were fighting with God, but what you were doing was you were kicking against your true nature.

To live without God is like trying to pull a wagon without wheels. It kind of works, but it drags, and it scrapes. Eventually, it disintegrates.

Now, into the heart comes this foreign object. You know, sort of from another planet. It comes on in, and what it is … it’s the principle of holiness, a yearning after God, a yearning for godliness, love, joy, peace, patience, all in that seed.

Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

Your not fighting God any longer you are at war with yourself.

d

The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive Walking in the Spirit

J.C. Ryle had a chapter in his book called “The Fight,” and in it he says a true Christian is known not only for his inner peace but also for his inner warfare. It’s just a different warfare. The fight has moved to another spot. The warfare is … What does Paul call it? He says fight the what kind of fight? Good fight.

Application: How you can run yourself down

Exercise born out of necessity (running to catch a train to work only to miss it) vs. exercise out of pleasure (gym). One drains the other strengthens.

If there’s no fight in your life, it’s because of a lack of real, all-out allegiance to the Master, a lack of all-out allegiance to the Master expressed in your efforts to grow, to pray, to use the means of grace, to begin to minister, to speak to people about Jesus

To Live By The Spirit and Not the Flesh

Galatians 5:16–18 TLV

But I say, walk by the Ruach, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Ruach, but the Ruach sets its desire against the flesh—for these are in opposition to one another, so that you cannot do what you want. But if you are led by the Ruach, you are not under law.

Explain the Text

Very quick recap: The Bible teaches that every one of us is naturally given to works-righteousness.

Every human being has some standards.

We got them from our parents.

We got them from wherever.

Standards we’re trying to live up to so we feel righteous.

The word righteous in the Bible tends to mean acceptable.

What makes you feel acceptable?

When will you come into the place you can accept yourself?

When do you get to the place where you feel like other people will accept you?

Illustrate:

Tim Keller vs. Kathy Keller Idols

You have an A: drive and a B: drive. You can operate out of the works-righteousness drive or you can operate out of grace and the freedom of who you are in Jesus Christ.

Works righteousness vs. Grace/Spirit Obedience

You have an A: drive and a B: drive. You can operate out of the works-righteousness drive or you can operate out of grace and the freedom of who you are in Jesus Christ.

Application

The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive Walking in the Spirit

Recognize that ordinarily both motives are there at the same time

Recognize that ordinarily both motives are there at the same time.

Look at what the sinful nature is verbalizing in your heart.

Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

Articulate the motives of the Spirit nature

Michael Vowell Review: This is a good introduction to the message series on the life of the Spirit. It does its job of wetting the appetite and giving practical application tools for where the series is going.

If there was anything that could have been done better it would have been to (1) pick-a-text and expound a little more in the second point. It felt like the second point was really just an important idea of Keller but not an important idea from the text. However, this is okay I just wish he would have gone to a text and anchored his position in a text. And, (2) I think Keller falls victim of something he knows does not work “focusing on technique” in application instead of affections. I can tell he is struggling to move beyond the read, pray and listen application to get to the deeper heart level application.