Flesh or Fruit: Love
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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.
Today we will begin a series on the Fruit of the Spirit entitled, [Flesh or Fruit]. The subject of today’s message is on the first fruit, [Love].
I love to look at pictures. My grandma Tidmore taught me the art of looking at pictures. When she pulls them out, it is a bit of a painstaking process.
I used to go through them really fast, and she would scold me. “You’re going so fast you are missing the picture. Take your time and look at what is really happening.”
Now I look at pictures a little different. I found a small photo album I have in my desk. It was taken of a trip my brother and I took on the train from OKC to Dallas.
The trip happened in July 1999, just over twenty years ago. As I looked at the pictures, I remembered the trip vividly, but I also thought of how many changes have occured in my life in twenty years and how many things have stayed the same.
I scanned a few of the pictures to prove my point:
First picture: this is my grandma Ruby, with the red hair, her best friend ruby in the blonde hair, Stephen and me. Some things haven’t changed: grandma and Ruby are still best friends. Stephen is still taller than me. Grandma has a Walmart bag full of crossword puzzles.
Second picture: Here is a better show of my brother and me. There are some stark changes. For some reason we decided to get a burr for a haircut and we wore patriotic clothing that my grandma made. Our shorts are higher than we would wear them now, and that might be the last time Stephen and I hugged.
Third picture: I remember this so well. Grandma let us eat wherever we wanted and I chose pizza. When she took the picture I told her to wait, let me eat the pizza while you take the picture so everyone can see how much I love pizza and how everything is so much bigger in Texas. There is a change, I still love pizza, I just don’t catalog it in photos.
I looked at these pictures and thought about how much my life has changed in two decades. Then I wondered, if God took snapshots of our lives, would we see definitive changes?
I am not speaking of clothing or hairstyles. If God took pictures of our motives, our actions, our mindset, our thought processes, and our prayer life, would we see changes? Or would we remain unchanged.
The fact is this, as followers of Christ, we should draw closer to Him on a consistent basis. We should be closer to Him than we were twenty years, twenty months, or even twenty days ago.
Paul looks at this process in . He discusses walking in the Spirit verses walking in the flesh. It is God’s desire that we live a life that draws closer to Him.
The problem, He will not force this, rather He invites us to follow Him. As born again believers, we have to determine, I do not want to walk in the flesh, instead, I want to display the fruit of the Spirit.
What are some of the works of the flesh?
Paul provides a contrasting list: the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. We can place the works of the flesh into four categories:
1. Sexual Sin- adultery, fornication, lewdness, or perversion
2. Religious Sin- idolatry, sorcery {we see this through people’s involvement in new age spiritualism, superstition, horoscopes, or idols}
3. Social Sin- these sins ruin relationships in churches, families, or communities: slander, gossip, harboring bitterness, holding grudges, taking revenge, outbursts, losing our temper, or selfishness
4. Personal Sin- these harm our bodies, selfish ambitions, working ourselves to death at the expense of our families, envy, jealously, drunkenness {the best way to avoid drunkenness? Don’t drink}, partying, or self-destructive behavior.
Paul did not provide an exhaustive list, instead he provided examples of some of the sins people commit. As followers of Christ, we must not be consumed with the preceding, but should display the following:
Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Paul calls these the fruit of the Spirit.
Notice the word FRUIT. It is not plural, even though there are nine of them. Instead, it is singular. We should not picture a banana, apple, orange, kiwi, strawberry, cherry, peach, lime, or lemon. And think, I can pick the ones I like and discard the ones that do not fit my personality.
No, through the work and help of the Holy Spirit,
Instead, think of a cluster of grapes. All the same fruit coming from the same vine. And through the work and help of the Holy Spirit, we can walk, not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, displaying good fruit.
How is the fruit of the Spirit displayed? Who in the Bible exemplifies how to walk in the Fruit of the Spirit?
Jesus. The Son of God came down in flesh, walked on this earth for thirty-three years, fully God and fully Man. He shows us how it is possible to display the fruit of the Spirit.
Today, let’s study this first fruit, LOVE, and how Jesus displayed it in His life. I have three points, [A Lesson in Love], [A Lifestyle of Love], and [A Longing to Love].
Let’s begin
1. A Lesson in Love
1. A Lesson in Love
12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
To say Jesus is the epitome is LOVE is an understatement. The Love Jesus displayed is is unmatched in world’s standards. The Greek word for Love found in the life of Christ is rarely found outside of the bible.
In the original language love can be described as a love between a man and woman in a relationship, this type of love is physical.
There is a love that denotes an affectionate friendship.
But the love Jesus displayed is called agape love. One author defines it, “the power to move us toward another person with no expectation of reward.”
Jesus showed the type of love that seeks the greatest and highest good of another in . By the time we arrive to , the disciples followed Jesus for three and a half years.
Gone was the romanticized view of what it meant to follow Jesus. He began speaking of his upcoming departure. details His conversation with the disciples on the night before His crucifixion.
Knowing what was ahead, Jesus did something unique. He stepped away from the table, and put on the garment of a slave. He returned to wash the disciples feet.
When travelers would enter the house, a slave would kneel down, remove their sandals, and wash the dirt and grime off of their feet. This job was unbefitting for a King, yet Jesus took on the form of a servant.
Why? To teach His disciples a lesson in love. Notice the word love is absent from this passage of scripture. Why? We can say we love someone, but true love is shown not said.
Because this lesson was taught on the night before His crucifixion, all twelve disciples still followed Him, including Jesus. If He were to ask the twelve, do you love Me? They would have answered yes.
But Judas already decided to betray Jesus. Peter would deny Him the next day. Thomas would doubt Him four days later. And the rest, except for John, would desert Him as He hung on the cross.
Jesus knew this, but still loved them, not just through His words, but His actions. He knelt down and washed their feet, showing true and genuine love.
After this lesson in love, Jesus called them to...
2. A Lifestyle of Love
2. A Lifestyle of Love
31 So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. 32 If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. 33 Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
31 So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. 32 If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. 33 Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
After washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus identified His betrayers. Judas left the room to sell Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver. Jesus then drops a bombshell.
I am leaving. It is time for me to be glorified with My Father. Very soon, you will look for me and I will be gone. They could not go where He was going at that time, so they thought they would be left alone.
Jesus then gave them a new commandment: LOVE ONE ANOTHER. How were they to love each other? They way Jesus loved them.
If we had time to read each gospel writer’s account of the Last Supper, we would see that there was a lot of bickering going on the room.
There was jealousy and questions about who would be the greatest. It is as though as soon as Jesus got the words, I am leaving, out of His mouth, they argued, who will take your place.
Each of them thought they should be left in charge. Jesus cautioned them and encouraged them, don’t worry about power, focus on loving each other.
While Jesus was alive, everyone knew that the twelve were disciples of Jesus. However, when Jesus returned to heaven, their love would show the watching world that they were His disciples.
Remember, true biblical love emphasizes, what can I do for someone who can do nothing in return? Biblical love focuses on seeking and doing the best for others.
I read the story of a pastor who had a man die in his congregation. He met with the man’s wife and she expressed her desires for the funeral. She spoke of a neighbor who was unsaved. Her and her husband tried to reach her through sermon tapes, booklets, and little gifts.
The wife prayed that the neighbor would find Jesus through the process of burying her husband. On the morning of the funeral, the pastor visited the widow and saw the neighbor sitting next to her.
In the house was a steady member of her church family coming in and out, bringing food, cleaning her house, doing chores left undone by her deceased husband, and even offering to loan her their car or drive her to future appointments.
A few days later the widow called her pastor and shared her neighbor stayed until everyone left and remarked, “My what love, were all those people members of your family?”
Her remark gave the widow the perfect opportunity to say, “Yes, but in a different way than you’re thinking, we are all from the same family...”
When we display a lifestyle of love, it should attract people to Jesus. The love Jesus wants us to show is not self-seeking or self-promoting. Instead, it is doing the right thing to people, regardless if they can return our favor.
3. A Longing to Love
3. A Longing to Love
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
After Jesus commanded the disciples to love, He showed how develop His love for others. Apart from His help and His Spirit, it is impossible to give the type of love He desires.
However, we can show His love when we abide in Him. To abide in Jesus means to remain totally connected to Him. Sadly, many are incapable to walk in the fruit of the Spirit because they are disconnected from Him.
How do we connect with Jesus?
We connect with Him in prayer, in the reading of His word, in praying in the Spirit, by coming to His house on a regular basis, by communicating with Him our wants, needs, hopes, or fears, and by listening to Him when He speaks.
When we abide in Jesus, when we draw nearer to Jesus, there will develop within us a longing. We will want to glorify the Father and bear the fruit of the Spirit.
When I first met Bekah, I was impressed by her and interested in her. But if on the first day of meeting she had come to me after service and said, Daniel, I think you should have said this different, your joke here fell flat, and I am not sure that tie matches your shirt. I would have thought, your nuts and I don’t anticipate further conversation.
Thankfully, she didn’t say that, instead she said, “man, you’re a dynamite preacher.” Now, we are married, if Bekah comes to me with her concerns, I pay attention, my love for her wants me to do the best I can by her.
Likewise, if we are in a genuine relationship with Jesus, our love for Him will create within us a longing to follow Him and keep His commandments.
The closer I get to Jesus the less I want to sin. Why? Because I do not want to break His heart. I do not view His commandments as burdensome, instead, I follow them as an act of love.
Our love for each other will only grow if we have a deep genuine love for the Lord.
12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
Because we Love Him and He loves us, Jesus wants us to love each other. Our love for Jesus should create within us a longing to show His love, preferring others above ourselves, and becoming willing to lay down ourselves for others.
The more we fall in love with Jesus, the more we will long to show His love to those around us!
Close:
The love this world displays is not a true love. Many times what Hollywood depicts as love is actually lust. Other times love is often exchanged for what one party can do for the other.
The world says to follow our hearts, when in reality it means to follow our feelings. Biblical love is totally different. In biblical love there is nothing perverse and it seeks to do the best for others.
Biblical love is totally different. In biblical love there is nothing perverse and it seeks to do the best for others.
True love doesn’t follow feelings, it leads by examples. It learns the lessons of Love as taught by Jesus, it denotes a lifestyle of love and it longs to love the way Jesus loved us.
Love is the thread that ties the bible together. God loved the world so He sent His Son. His Son loved us so He died for our sins. Now we are to love each other because He first loved us!
8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
14 Let all that you do be done with love.
2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”
Christians are to demonstrate the love of God. But you might think, Daniel that is great, I like the sound of that, but it is too good to be true. I have tried to love others, but some people are unloveable.
There is a reason Love is a fruit of the SPIRIT. Pay attention to the last two words, THE SPIRIT. Throughout history people have attempted to show love and failed.
It took God sending His Son, who then sent the Holy Spirit. Sandwiched between and is chapter fourteen, which discusses the role of the Holy Spirit.
As you know, I am unashamedly Pentecostal and I am thankful that we have a Spirit-filled church. But as Spirit-filled Christians, we often look at the gifts, but the gifts are rendered useless if we do not have the fruit.
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.
This passage does not condemn speaking in tongues, rather it shows us, if we are filled with the Holy Spirit, then we should be the most loving people around.
Today, I believe the Lord wants us to do two things. First, I believe He wants us to pour out our love and affection to Him. Let’s tell the Lord how much we love Him through our praise and worship.
Second, He will then deposit within us a new level of love, for Him, for each other, and for the lost.
Let’s ask the Lord to empower us with His Spirit, that we will not walk in the flesh, but we will display the fruit of the Spirit, starting with supernatural love for one another!