Fruit of the Spirit - Part 1
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16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Introduction
Introduction
Introduction
Introduction
As we learned last week, there is a battle within every believer between the flesh and the Spirit. We were designed by God and for God to bear fruit, good, pleasing, tasty, juicy fruit, not shriveled, rotten, or bitter fruit. In order to do so, we must first allow Christ in as our personal Lord and Savior, surrendering every part of our lives to Him. We, then, must allow Him to empty us of all the dried up, bitter, ugly parts so that we can produce the fruit we were meant to bear. Then, we must abide in Him so that we will continue to bear good fruit. Apart from Him it’s impossible to bear this Juicy Fruit!
Pitcher Illustration
Pitcher Illustration
These are the acts of the sinful nature. In contrast, a life led by the Spirit of God will be God-centered, not self-centered. In order to bear good fruit we must abide in Christ!
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
The Fruit of the Spirit is a natural product of the Spirit. It is made possible through a living relationship between a believer and God through Jesus Christ. Fruit will not bud on a branch that is separated from the tree. Fruit will not bud in our lives if we don’t remain in Christ.
Fruit of the Spirit, not fruits. Cluster of grapes as opposed to pieces of fruit. This is not like a fruit salad, where we pick and chose. Oh, I like strawberries, but not bananas, cantaloupe, but not apples. The various aspects / characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit aren’t optional. It’s not fruit salad. We can’t say, “oh, I choose kindness, but not self control.”
This morning we’re going to look at the first four virtues of the Fruit of the Spirit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience ...” (vs. 22)
1. Love Deeply
1. Love Deeply
A self-less, God - kind of love that cares for another person, without an agenda or hidden motive of personal gain.
How do we know what real love is? Look to Christ!
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
1 jn 3.16
Who are our brothers and sisters? Everyone
jn 13.34-35
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Are we know for our love? Are we known more for our opinions?
19 We love because he first loved us.
20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
Strong words … everybody means everybody!
You say, “but God.” Look to His example.
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
rom 5.8
44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
“Extravagant love often means coloring outside the lines and going beyond the norms. Loving the neighbors we don’t understand takes work and humility and patience and guts … find a way to love difficult people more and you will be living the life Jesus talked about.” Bod Goff (Everybody Always)
Don’t just say you love, show you love.
18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.
One can say I love you and yet display the exact opposite. May that never be said of us. May we love deeply, sacrificially, selflessly, without an agenda.
2. Choose Joy
2. Choose Joy
How can joy be defined?
True joy is an inner sense of gladness that’s not based on circumstances but on the love, grace, blessings, promises, and nearness of God that belong to those who follow Christ.
Happiness depends on circumstances, joy does not.
In we read that the news of the Savior’s birth would cause great joy for all the people. The good news of the Gospel should still bring great joy today!
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
How can we always be full of joy when the reality is we face incredibly difficult heart-breaking circumstances, sometimes what feels like daily?
1 thes
16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
How can we possibly be joyful always!? Never stop praying! Be thankful in all circumstances. Not for all circumstances. There is always something to be thankful for.
“What if you woke up today with only the things that you thanked God for yesterday?”
We must choose joy and guard it carefully! The thieves of our joy are all too often envy, complaining, being critical.
10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
We need joy. Others need to see our joy. We were never called to bear sour grapes.
prov 10
28 The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
In , Paul asked the Galatians, “What has happened to all your joy?”
Do you find yourself asking that same question today?
Let us pray like David in
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.
11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
A simple acronym for joy is:
Jesus Others Yourself
Jesus Others Yourself
Is it possible we’ve gotten our letters in the wrong order?
Let Jesus restore your joy and fill you with joy. Then choose to remain in it through regularly entering His presence, studying His Word, and being thankful!
3. Walk in Peace
3. Walk in Peace
Peace - The inner calm and contentment based on the knowledge that one is in a right relationship with God and that He has everything in control.
Peace is mentioned in every New Testament book and 80 times altogether.
We live in uncertain times and to say people lack peace would be an understatement.
As believers, we know the very Prince of Peace that speaks of. Not only that, but Jesus has actually given us peace as our inheritance. We don’t have to earn it or manufacture it, we simply need to receive it and walk in it.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Illustration - Christmas at Holly Lodge (Hallmark)
Illustration - Christmas at Holly Lodge (Hallmark)
Circumstances will certainly try to rob us of our peace, but God has given it to us and desires for us to walk in it. How?
We must abide in Him. Apart from Him we will lack peace. What’s the antidote for anxiousness? God’s peace. How do we walk in it? Walk with Him.
phil 6.7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
When we operate from a place of peace, we think more clearly, basing our decisions on the truth of His word, not our feelings.
The cure for worry is prayer, so why should it surprise us that we often struggle so much with finding / making the time to enter His presence?
We are to walk in the peace in the peace that Jesus Christ has freely given to us in our relationship with Him and others.
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
4. Practice Patience
4. Practice Patience
Patience can be defined as perseverance and the ability to wait without becoming angry, annoyed, or upset. The ability to tolerate being hurt or provoked without losing one’s temper. Maintaining hope and not giving in to despair.
Zondervan NIV Commentary
“Putting up with others even when one is severely tired.”
Often times we believe the lie that “we have a right to react this way.” Although there may be a hint of truth in that, just because we have a right doesn’t mean we should. We must practice being patient.
We need to willfully choose to prayerfully respond instead of quickly reacting.
When Abraham Lincoln felt the urge to tell someone off, he would compose what was referred to as a “hot letter.” He would put it aside until his emotions cooled down. He would then write never sent, never signed.
How different would our lives look if we practiced something similar. In a world where tweets and posts that took seconds to compose can sting for a lifetime. What if we, as followers of Christ, practiced patience? This requires trust though. We must trust that nothing is unseen by God. That He is at work in our lives and in the lives of others, and that His timing is perfect. We need to be patient with others.
32 Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.
We would never expect a newborn baby to take off running and yet we sometimes expect brand new believers to when, in fact, they’re just learning how to stand.
We are to be patient because the Lord is patient.
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
God’s character is described as patient multiple times in scripture. We are to wait patiently on the Lord.
7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Praying for patience … There will be opportunities to practice patience. That is how God can and will grow our patience so that it becomes healthy, juicy fruit. We will be tempted to take matters into our own hands, but when we do, we often make a mess of things and miss out on God’s best. He is trustworthy and as we choose to wait patiently of Him, we will be blessed.
Illustration - Emperor Moth
Illustration - Emperor Moth
How do we Love Deeply, Choose Joy, Walk in Peace, and Practice Patience?
We have to come to Christ, first and foremost. We must surrender our lives and receive the gift of salvation.
We then become grafted in. He’s the vine. We are the branches. As believers, we have to remain in Him. (Prayer, daily walking with Him). We can not bear fruit if we are no longer attached to the tree.
Are we bearing juicy fruit? Is it appealing to those who are spiritually starving? Are we offering the right type of nourishment. Prune us Lord, where we need pruning, so that we can be who you’ve called us to be!