Tunstall Apo. AM Sunday 17 Sept. 2006

Place: TUNSTALL APO.      Date: AM SUNDAY, 17TH SEPT. 2006.

Text: GALATIONS 5:22-23. Theme: HARVEST TIME, AND THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.

Introduction:                          Reading: GALATIONS 5:22-23.

          Harvest time, is when the fruit of your labour is gathered in. To the Christian we need to labour to bear the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. We need to be FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT! Why? To be more like Jesus, for the perfect character of Christ Jesus, is seen in these NINE FRUITS of the Spirit. Paul says in verse 25, that we should live and walk in the Spirit.

          Can we all say that LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, GENTLENESS, GOODNESS, MEEKNESS, SELF-CONTROL, fills our lives? And walk in Christ?

1st FRUIT: LOVE.

          Love, is the first, and greatest fruit or gift in a Christian's life, Jesus said “That you should love one another” John 13:34. Love, is essential to man's relationship to God, and to each other, plus, love is the very nature of God, John 3:16. Jesus had so great a love that it reached out to you and me, by the CROSS.

2nd FRUIT: JOY (JOYOUS GLADNESS).

          The word in the Greek that is used for joy (Chairo) carries the meaning “good health to you, and may your life be full.” This word was used by the early Christians as a form of greetings, or the words “all hail” were used. When Christ Jesus met the woman on the morning of the resurrection, He greeted her with these words “all hail” Matthew 28:9 “Rejoice.”

3rd FRUIT: PEACE.

          Peace, is freedom from either inward or outward disturbance, when all around is failing. This inward peace comes by the presence of Christ Jesus abiding in our lives. And the peace of the Spirit in our daily walk in Christ. Sorrow, struggles, difficulties, and disappointments, cannot destroy the peace of God, if we abiding in Him.

4th FRUIT: LONGSUFFERING (PATIENCE).

          Longsuffering, is endurance in trails and testing, Paul says in Romans 5:3 “Tribulation works patience, patience experience.” We all think we have plenty of tribulations, so we should all have great patience. Longsuffering speaks of people who know how to endure, because they have met with Christ Jesus.

5th FRUIT: GENTLENESS (KINDNESS).

          One of the hardest gifts to anyone. Because it means “not to have your own way.” To be kind and gentle, even to those who hurt us. Gentleness is not weakness to be walked upon, but kindness to forgive, and keep on forgiving.

6th FRUIT: GOODNESS (BENEVOLENCE).

          Goodness is God-ness; it is the quality of love. Goodness seems to suggest openness to give, to love the ungodly. For it is the fruit of helping others for loves sake, it is the opposite of selfishness. The marks of goodness are self-sacrifice, usefulness, unselfishness. It is never greedy or grasping, but always giving.

7th FRUIT: FAITH.

          It is the seventh gift (seven is God's perfect number), and faith is God's perfect gift. Faith is given twice, as a “fruit” and as a “gift” of the Spirit. Faithfulness is to live by faith and not by sight. It is not what man sees, but what God sees. We need FAITH-living, soul-quickening, life-transforming, FAITH in our lives.

8th FRUIT: MEEKNESS.

          Meekness, is not weakness, it takes a strong person to be meek. Meekness is humility, to be humble, to put pride and self away, so that Jesus may have all the glory, in all that we say and do. Because the stony heart, the bitter spirit, the strong will, the quick temper; all must be softened in the meekness of Christ in our lives.

9th FRUIT: SELF-CONTROL.

          To be in control of the desires of the flesh, and sin, to seek after spiritual things. It means to “cut off” or to have “power to conquer.”

Self-control is not something which we do, or the means by in which we improve ourselves. It is the Holy Spirit working within us, creating self-control, self-discipline, self-denial. For daily the Spirit is making me a “new creation” in God.

CONCLUSION:

          Each of the NINE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT transforms the life, the personality, and the character of the believer.

Can we all say that LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, GENTLENESS, GOODNESS, MEEKNESS, SELF-CONTROL, fills our lives? And walk in Christ? If not, why not?