Sermon Tone Analysis

We find ourselves in a very popular and famous part of Galatians, .

Go ahead open up to that now, .

Read .

As we read through this text theres many famous lines about the Spirit.

“Led by the Spirit”

“Works of the Flesh”

“Fruit of the Spirit”

“Crucify the flesh”

“Live by the Spirit”

“Keep in step with the Spirit”

All these famous words, and if you asked various Christians what they mean, you’d get a variety of answers.

Anytime we talk about the Spirit, specifically the Holy Spirit, things tend to get weird, and weird real fast.

What does it mean to be led by the Spirit?

Last week we talked about walking by the Spirit, and this carries along the same idea.

What does it mean to be led by the Spirit?

Some people think that being led by the Spirit is equivalent to living with the Force, much like Luke Skywalker in Star Wars.

Others think that being led by the Spirit is like Spider-Man’s spidey sense, it lets you know of dangers before they happen.

You drive through a parking lot, and the Holy Spirit will nudge you into the perfect parking spot.

Others think that being led by the Holy Spirit is having a secret knowledge.

The thinking is there is this inner voice that is directing you.

The author of one article I read went so far as to say that sometimes, Jesus doesn’t know where the Spirit is leading you.

I get nervous when talking about these things, but with Scripture as our guide, we can definitely come to some conclusions about these things.

In our text, Paul is contrasting the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit.

He is contrasting the person who is led by his own desires, and the person who is led by the Spirit.

The first thing we see is that being Led by the Spirit means crucifying the flesh.

What are the works of the flesh?

In verse 19 Paul says that the works of the flesh are evident.

In verse 19 Paul says that the works of the flesh are evident.

This means that they are not a secret.

There were 2 times that someone entered the church and stole things.

We also found other attempts to enter the building by breaking in.

In each of these events, there was evidence, there was proof.

Pretend there’s a guy who has a “kick me” sign on the back of his shirt.

He doesn’t know about it.

Something destructive was done.

Throughout the day people keep kicking him and he doesn’t know why.

Locks were pried open .

Finally, he sits down and hear the crinkle of the paper rustling against the chair.

Doors were pried open.

He reaches back and he pulls off the sign, and reads those words, “Kick me.”

There was evidence of a crime.

And now he’s irritated.

In the same way the works of the flesh are evident.

Why didn’t anyone tell him about the sign?

It has left it’s mark within the heart of all mankind.

The sign was not evident to him.

His lack of information made him a victim.

The works of the flesh begin with wicked desires.

The works of the flesh are not like this.

It’s not an outside pressure.

You are not walking through life unaware of your sin.

The devil didn’t make you sin.

We are aware of our sin.

You sin, not because you are lacking information, but because you choose to.

You can’t blame it on anyone else.

The works of the flesh are evident.

This is all you.

In , Paul says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”

In , Jesus said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him.

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.

All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

The works of the flesh begin internally, then they get worked out.

Suppress the truth.

You know the truth.

You push away the truth.

From 2000-2006, we had a pastor named Murray Hollis.

I remember one Sunday morning sitting in one of those seats, and I was messing around.

I don’t remember specifically what I was doing, but I was causing a distraction.

I didn’t think Murray would be able to spot me in the crowd.

Since becoming pastor, I’ve learned how wrong I was.

I see everything up from up here.

You whisper to your neighbor I see it.

And some of you don’t whisper very quietly, and I hear it too.

The next week, Murray pulled me aside, and asked me what I was doing.

At that moment I knew my behavior was evident, I was caught.

I apologized and said I was sorry.

Murray didn’t let me off the hook.

He said, “Luke, I learned how to behave better than that when I was 6 years old.”

And the truth is, he was right.

I knew how I was supposed to act in church.

I knew better.

But I did it anyway.

I made a decision to suppress what is right and do something that is wrong.

The same goes for us and our sins, we know what is right, we suppress the truth and we sin anyway.

That’s the big point of , everyone has a knowledge of right and wrong.

In Paul says, “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.

They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”

God has revealed His law, a knowledge of right or wrong to everyone.

It’s written on our consciences.

You don’t have to have read the Bible to know that it is wrong to murder.

You don’t have to read the Bible to know that it is wrong to steal.

This means that no one can say they didn’t know better.

Those who are religious have sinned.

And even those who are not religious have sinned.

Then you make it to and there’s that big statement, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

We know what is sin.

It is evident.

It is clear.

In addition to all of us knowing how we ought to behave, there is a variety to our sin.

We don’t all sin the same way.