Sermon Tone Analysis

(NKJV) — 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

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

Against such there is no law.

24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

(NKJV) — 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

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

Against such there is no law.

24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Today we are moving onto the Fruit of the Spirit.

The last two weeks have been about walking in because the Holy Spirit lives in us.

God lives and moves and has His being in us then we are in the Spirit.

We have to be led by Him but we have a choice to go with Him or refuse.

This is the battle that we are in.

But we have the power of God living in us to make the right choices and refuse the wrong.

We have a choice about where we put our minds; upon things above or on earthly things, upon God or ourselves, upon His Word or upon our culture, upon His works or upon sensuality.

We can replace bad thoughts with godly thoughts and so on.

Today I am moving onto the Fruit of the Spirit.

Last week we found out that we walk in the Spirit because the Holy Spirit lives in us.

And as He lives and moves and has His being in us then we are in the Spirit.

We have to be led by Him but we have a choice to go with Him or refuse.

This is the battle that we are in.

But we have the power of God living in us to make the right choices and refuse the wrong.

So, the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

There are nine parts to this fruit all working together to produce in us a godly life that makes us conform more and more to the image of God’s Son.

The foremost and top of the list is the crowning glory called ‘love’.

We are going to look at each part of the Fruit of the Spirit over the next few weeks unless I get side-tracked, which is possible, of course!

Bearing fruit, though, is what we are called to do.

We can bear fruit to our sinful nature or according to the Spirit.

And as we heard on Wednesday from John Kissick we should be fruitful for God as individuals and as a Church.

So, the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

There are nine parts to this fruit all working together to produce in us a godly life that makes us conform more and more to the image of God’s Son.

The foremost and top of the list is the crowning glory called ‘love’.

First, it would be helpful to distinguish what this love is.

English, being what it is has many things to say about love.

Love today is taken by many people in our society as the ground of truth.

If there’s love it’s OK.

It is a regular thing to say ‘if they love each other, what’s wrong with it?’

If this is the basis of truth then there will be even more issues ahead whether it is about 3 or more in a loving relationship - and if love is the basis of what we take as being good then what happens when a 19 year old loves a 13 year old and vice versa.

Why would we be upset at this if it’s love?

No, love cannot be the basis for working out what is right and wrong.

There is a right kind of love between two people, a male and a female, which is properly found in an exclusive marriage.

This love is a Greek word which we all know ‘Eros’.

It is a romantic and sexual love.

This is best found in Scripture in the Songs of Solomon.

In fact there are six Greek words for love.

And shortly we will look at the one that is above all.

Then there is the love that is found between friends.

Probably the best passage is found in 1 Samuel Chapters 18 to 20 with David and Jonathan.

This love is known as Philia in Greek.

Then there is the love that is found between friends.

Probably the best passage is found in with David and Jonathan.

This love is known as Philia in Greek.

Ludus means playful love which is not found in the bible as well as pragma or longstanding love.

There is a love called Philautia which is to do with self-love.

This is found in Scripture, so is biblical, but not in a positive way. it is found in

So. unlike the Justin Bieber song which says you should ‘go ahead and love yourself’, it is fitting for our world which this bible verse describes but it is not right.

So, finally, we come to the word that is the one we most associate with God, the word ‘Agape’.

This love is of the sacrificial kind that is unconditional.

Now whilst I said that husband and wife and love between friends is another kind of love it can also include Agape.

Agape, the word used here in the Galatians as part of the fruit of the Spirit, can be both positive and negative.

For we find the same word Agape in:

(NKJV) — 10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved (agape’d) this present world, and has departed...

(NKJV) — 10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved (agape’d) this present world, and has departed...

So, in this case Demas has unconditional love, willing to self-sacrifice on the altar of this world.

We only have to look around the City and see that this is true of many and easy to fall into.

So, love is not always good – it depends on its focus.

Demas’ example was one of false love; a love that had its eyes on the things of this world.

In the story about the rich young ruler he comes to Jesus in asking: "Good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

(NKJV) — 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

It was Jesus love for this man that compelled Him to tell him that he had a stumbling block between him and eternal life and that block was that the rich young man, loved his money more than he loved God.

He agape’d money instead of God.

This is why we cannot serve two masters...we can only give one our allegiance...and this is very important when it comes to all our life choices.

Our choices should be about where God can use us most not about how much money we can earn.

It was Jesus love for this man that compelled Him to tell him that he had a stumbling block between him and eternal life and that block was that the rich young man, loved his money more than he loved God.

He agape’d money instead of God.

This is why we cannot serve two masters...we can only give one our allegiance...and this is very important when it comes to all our life choices.

Our choices should be about where God can use us most not about how much money we can earn.

Last week we said that we have to focus on things above as found in if we are to be led by the Spirit.

This means our focus has to be taken off the things of this world.

is the passage which is the crowning glory when it comes to talking about agape love.

(NKJV) — 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails.

But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.

Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.