What Are Your Symptoms?

If you’ve been into a doctor’s office or hospital recently, they take your temperature and then pull out a sheet of paper and begin to ask several questions. Have you had a fever, sore throat, difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell? Have you been told to quarantine by a medical professional? Have you been in contact with anyone who has had these symptoms or who has tested positive for COVID-19?

Why do they ask these questions? - They are looking for evidence for this terrible virus before you enter the building. They are doing their best to keep the facilities COVID free and the only way - short of testing everyone - is to ask about symptoms. These professionals have done the research and have determined how someone infected might present. Medical school 101 I imagine.

Today I’d like to look at the symptoms of what a disciple of Christ looks like. How does a follower of Christ present? To keep with the medical terminology, I am going to even give you a prescription if you are missing some of these sign of healthy Christ follower.

Turn with me to Matthew 7 starting in verse 15. If you have a red letter Bible, you’ll notice the entire 7th chapter of Matthew is in red. That means Jesus himself is talking here. This chapter is the conclusion of what is known as the sermon on the mount. This entire passage is full of practical teaching from Jesus. Let’s read:

Matthew 7:15–20 NIV

15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

“You will recognize them by their fruits.” If you walk up to a tree and it has apples on it, you call it an apple tree. Not an orange tree or avocado tree…an apple tree. Jesus was using a common metaphor when talking about fruit here. People understood that fruit is a result of growing an maturing of a tree. That fruit helps identify the tree. Fruit is a also something that can be eaten and used for nourishment for those around the tree. The tree does not benefit in making the fruit. The fruit is intended to be used by others. The fruit also protects the seeds within that may eventually turn into another a tree that will then bear fruit as well.

To recap our passage, Jesus is telling us that what you see for fruit is the kind of tree you have. The kind of fruit you see in a persons life shows you what is growing within them. You could even say that the fruit is representative of the roots that person is connected to. Jesus said in John 15:5:

John 15:5 NIV

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.

Catch that… we are the branches that will hold the fruit that grows. What vine we are connected to tells what kind of fruit will be produced. So what does the fruit of a Christ Follower look like? What is the standard? Turn with me to Galatians 5:16

This passage is a “symptom” list for those who are disciples of Jesus and those who are not. Now before we read these, I am not saying, nor is this saying that none of these will ever come up in a Christian’s life. However, as we mature as a Christian, these will be less and less evident.

Galatians 5:16–21 NIV

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.

A great question to ask yourself - Are these qualities less and less evident in my life than they were a few years ago? Someone who is walking consistently by the Spirit will be convicted of these things and will have to decide - Do I follow the Spirit or do I follow the flesh? Let’s read this list again and dig into some detail and as we do that, examine your own life - Is this something I’m struggling with? If yes, today the Holy Spirit is asking you to deal with it. To make the decision to walk by the Spirit and not by Flesh.

Sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery

Sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery - First are the sexual sins. This covers adultery, looking at the opposite sex with lust, lacking self control when it come to your own sexuality.

Idolatry and witchcraft

Idolatry and witchcraft - next we have what might be deemed as religious sins. Worshiping anything else above God and taking part in ceremonies or events that draw one to evil

Hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy

Hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy - These are the societal sins. These deal with how we might relate to one another.

Hatred (echthrai) is in the plural form, denoting primarily a feeling of enmity between groups.

Discord (eris) is the natural result of “hatred” and no doubt a problem in the Galatian church.

Jealousy (zelos) refers not to the godly form but to the sinful and self-centered type.

Fits of rage (thymoi) or outbursts of temper, often come as a final eruption of smoldering jealousy.

Selfish ambition (eritheiai) is a self-aggrandizing attitude which shows itself in working to get ahead at other’s expense (cf. Phil. 2:3).

Dissensions (dichostasiai) and factions (haireseis) describe what happens when people quarrel over issues or personalities, causing hurtful divisions.

Envy (phthonoi) is an evil feeling, a wrongful desire to possess what belongs to someone else.

Drunkenness, orgies and the like

Drunkenness, orgies and the like - using substances to alter the mind with others…and the like

Paul put a catchall at the end to say that these are representations of what fleshly, sinful acts might look like. There are others that might be slightly different, but if they are anything at all like these…they are included.

Sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery

Idolatry and witchcraft

Hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy

Drunkenness, orgies and the like

I want to pause here for just a moment. This list is meant to be a convicting piece of scripture. If any of these are part of your regular life, God’s word is telling you now to run in the opposite direction. We might think that we are pretty good in this area, but there is story after story I could tell you about: how churches have been torn apart from the inside because of some of these, how seemingly godly marriages end in divorce, how communities are are turmoil, how Facebook conversations end friendships…the list goes on of ways this list destroys.

And I want to be clear…this is a list of destruction. People are hurt, relationship destroyed and ultimately, people are going to hell acting this way. Death and destruction follows these.

I am going to leave just these words up on the screen for a little bit. I want you to read over this list and ask God for clear understanding about these words. Ask him if these are issues in your life - ask Him for special revelation.

Then ask for forgiveness.

I’ll give you a few moments and then I’ll pray...

Father, we are not perfect people. Your word tells us that we are all sinners in need of grace. These acts of the flesh is not what you want from your people. Today we confess and ask forgiveness. Thank you Jesus.

Fortunately, this is not where the message ends today. Let’s read just a few more verses from Galatians 5:

Galatians 5:22–26 NIV

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. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

This is the contrast to the acts of the flesh - the fruit of the Spirit. Now the words of Jesus previously...

Matthew 7:20 NIV

20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

…carries a deeper meaning. What fruit would you be recognized by? What vine are you attached to?

Let’s examine the qualities of the fruit…BTW it is one fruit with many qualities - like an apple can be red, juicy, sweet, crunchy…so it is with the fruit of the Spirit - one Spirit, one fruit

The first three are single syllable words that deal with the habits of our mind -

Love, Joy, Peace

Love (agape) - not just the feeling, but the reason behind our decisions. Jesus self sacrificing love as our model.

Joy (chara) - inner rejoicing that happens as a result of abiding in Christ - We see the world differently, so circumstances do not change our joy

Peace (eirene) - a peace that allowed Jesus to sleep on a boat while a storm crashed all around. This peace is promised as a gift and defies all understanding

The next three are about others and are two syllables -

Patience, Kindness, Goodness

Patience (makrothymia) - ability to absorb troubles or stress around us without reaction.

Kindness (chrestotes) - benevolence toward others, even if they don’t deserve it. Jesus is our model for kindness to not only each other, but to the world.

Goodness (agathosyne) - reaching out with good even if bad is what is returned.

The last three deal with the general conduct of the believer and have three syllables -

Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control

Faithfulness (pistis) - being trustworthy and reliable.

Gentleness (prautes) - both submissive to God’s Word in one’s own life, but also in how to interact with those who need God’s Word applied in their life.

Self-control (enkrateia) - discipline in our own life as it relates to curbing the impulses and desires of the flesh.

Love, Joy, Peace

Patience, Kindness, Goodness

Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control

We can often ask why God didn’t answer our prayers for healing or deliverance, but I know for certain, there is a prayer that He will always answer - Lord, fill me with Your Holy Spirit. What I’ve learned in my personal walk, is that this is not a one-and-done prayer. This must be prayed continually. Why? Because the world around us is continually throwing temptation after temptation at us. The only way to be successful in resisting temptation is through walking continually with the Spirit - to continually abide in Jesus, to constantly seek to know Him, to continually ask - Lord Fill me. Lord Guide me. Lord Help me.

When I start my days with a prayer asking Him to fill me again, my day is way different than when I don’t. Someone once told me that he doesn’t let his feet hit the floor without:

1. Thanking Him for a new day

2. Acknowledging Him as Lord of the day ahead

3. Asking for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit.

He told me one time that he got up and made it all the way to the bathroom. He ran back into his room, sat on the bed with his feet off the floor and after a quick apology, he...

End in Prayer