Known By Your Fruit - The Introduction
What a glorious worship song with had this morning a man. So good to see you all this morning on this cold Winter's day.
One quite as bad as they said it was going to be there. When is it God's actually shown his light It's a beautiful morning and it's a beautiful morning to be in his house. You know, we we were worried we always worry when weather comes in and things, you know, what here about a month ago. They said we were having that winter apocalypse or whatever and that didn't show up and then so anyway this week this weekend. It was supposed to get down to five or whatever. I didn't show up. God God God blesses us in the Forum many people many people, you know it if it if it looks like there might be a chance of rough weather coming on they're going to skate to stay home. Right? It's easy to stay home and in those situations, but but I think God's in all things is kind of just testing us every once awhile.
Coming in but somebody was hungry and I bundled up and I went outside and went and got him some food. People wouldn't think that they're crazy with a it out and go to church today. Why is that? Why is it will if there is a great reason for that is because we are in this battle. We're in this spiritual war planes going to do everything that he can possibly can to convince you that that that you don't need a lot of Jesus because he knows the more Jesus you get the more like Jesus you're going to be as you turn to Galatians chapter 5 as we move into this new series known by our fruit.
All about this spiritual war and which wherein we understand we know what's going on around us. And that is that there's there's this fight against the spirit inside of ourselves. We have a fight that that we have to do to deal with daily. It's the fight against our flash our own desires cuz we have a sin nature we want to do things our way yet. God has showed us and pointing just to to his laws and his wife and his laws and his ways are the perfect way if we follow his directions, we will find blessings. Amen, but we still want our way right and then in the same since we're fighting this spiritual warfare, the spiritual war Which Wich said the principalities and edema and the things that are evil in this world are going to push their agenda on us. Push us farther and further and further away from Christ. So this morning as we we look at this week's exam in this we see this battle against the slashed against the spirit as we see this battle of light versus Darkness. I want you to listen closely to the scriptures. I want you to look at these scriptures and as you look and as we read the scriptures about the fruit of the spirit are not all only going to speak to you and speak to your spirit, but they're going to be kind of like a mirror on to you. So as you look into this mirror, which is Galatians chapter 5 see what God is teaching you Jesus said we are to be known. by our fruit, so Galatians chapter 5 we're going to start with verse 16 and go to verse 25 the fruits of the spirit the word of God says this But I say walk by the spirit. And you will not gratify the desires of your flesh. The desires of the flesh are against the spirit and the desire of the spirit are against the flash for these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things that you want to do. But if you are lead by the spirit, You are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident sexual immorality impurity sensuality idolatry sorcery Amity Strife jealousy fits of anger rivalries dissensions division Envy drunkenness orgies and things like these mean that's not the whole list. I warn you as I warned you before that those of of who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace, patience kindness goodness, faithfulness gentleness self-control against such things. There is no law and those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires if we live by the spirit, let us also keep in step with the spirit. Let us not become conceited provoking one another in vanilla envying one another father. We we just we just fall before you this morning and and I praise your Holy Name. We thank you for your glorious. Love and grace that that that is abounding to us. We pray that you would speak the truth. Your spirit would speak the truth into our hearts and lives this morning and help us to to know and walk by your spirit and do the things that you want us to do father. We ask this in Jesus precious name and through his awesome blood. Amen. Yeah, Jesus made that statement. We are to be known by our fruits. We are to be known by this as as you read through these words in Galatians as you looked into this mirror glacias 5 and you examine yourself the question is what fruit are you? Are are are are you bearing good fruit. Are you a fruitful person? We all are fruitful people. The question is what kind of fruit are we burying a Groot tree does not bear bad fruit and a battery doesn't bear good fruit a man, but fruit reproduce their kind. What kind of fruit are you reproducing? Are you a rebellious person. If you are then you're going to be reproducing rebellion and others. If you are a self righteous person and then you are going to lead others to be Pharisees just like yourself. If you are a whiny person then guess what you're going to gather people along with you to have pity parties. That's what you're going to do. That's who you are. That's what you're bringing. That's what your bearing put on contrary to that. If you are a person who is walking in the spirit and you were bearing good fruit, then good fruits going to come out of you. If you are a warrior for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the kingdom of God, then you are going to produce in your side through yourself other soldiers, which will stand for Christ Jesus.
What kind of fruits are you? Hearing Galatians Paul tells us that the fruit of the spirit is these 9 things that are written down. There's nice things here this morning, but I'm going to tell you that it's hard to remember nine things, isn't it? This morning. I want you instead of having to remember love joy peace, patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness and self-control when I tell you that you're really only have to remember.
You really only have to remember one the text here says the fruit of the spirit not the fruits of the spirit the fruits of the spirit, there's nine fruits there, but but eight of them are just by products of one. The fruit of the spirit is love.
the fruit of the spirit is love in the Bible tells us that God is Love that God is love and that if we are his then we are to be in 12 by the god of love. And as you go through as you read your new testament, as you read the writings of Paul, we see it's evidence do this. And and all you have to do is just flip back just a few pages to 1st Corinthians 13 the love chapter and you will see that Paul is writing about God's love is testifying about God's love and after he talks about the long-suffering of God. He talks about this the kind of love. He talks about all these different things that describe the attributes of God and his love and it parallels the Fruit of the Spirit. Let me tell you friends. I believe this with my whole heart. Okay that for all of us who call ourselves Christians for all of us that call ourselves by the name of Jesus Christ that rest upon him and love him that if we would just get this one point. Are you with me if we were just get this one points? To love and to love like Johnny had to let God's love abounding us then Revival would sweep across our land. Are you with me?
Revival would sweep across our land if we love like God has demonstrated his love for us. Oh my goodness. I pray. that I would love like God. I pray that that God's love would spring forth in me. And that Revival would break out. I pray that it would break out love would break out in such a massive way that it would start Revival in in me today. How about you friends? How about you? So today is is we focus on on love. We're also going to look at Joy the byproduct of love as we focus on these things and we think about ourselves if you know the Bible tells us to love your neighbor as yourself, right? How do you do that? Why does why does the Bible say to love your neighbor like yourself? Cuz it's extremely hard to show others. Love if you don't love yourself. You know weeks we looked at that video this morning and you were fearfully and wonderfully made God made you and if he formed you and that woman and he made you not Justa fearfully and wonderfully made but he made you perfect and specific purpose. You have a purpose and that purpose is not just been on this Earth, but it is eternal and a Christian who understands this Christian who received this and knows this he has his purpose and putting forth in the world. There's more to life. It's easy to get down in this world. It's easy to get discouraged in this world. It's easy to get just to have the weight of the world put upon you and be depressed by the things of this world, but those of us who know God have a Joy inside of us that we can't even explain.
Have you ever met anybody that you could tell they didn't even like themselves? I don't know man. I heard of this woman is woman. She was brought into the hospital. She was very sick. They took a long time to figure out what was wrong with her. He comes out that she had rabies.
And the doctor comes in and then and it is gotten to the point where there's really nothing that they can do in the doctor comes in and says, I'm a I'm a I'm sorry, but your condition is terminal. There's there's really nothing that we can do. You need to get your Affairs in order. And so they brought her in a piece of paper and a pen and man she starts writing and she starts right and she keeps riding doctor goes away for awhile. I comes back and she's still riding. She's like he's like, wow, this is the longest last will and testament that I've ever ever seen she spoke up and she was mad. She my last will and testament. This is a list of people. I'm going to bite when I get out of here.
She's not very happy person. I hope she's not your neighbor.
we
are to be known by our fruits the fruit of the spirit is love.
Which brings us joy? Let me ask you let me ask you this. Cuz I and I hope you understand this. I hope you know this. Okay that your face. Is a book.
Your face is a book. And everywhere you go people are reading that book.
Yeah, I hope as Christians is godly people here today that we would we wouldn't know this but the polls tell us. That most people when they go and they visit churches.
The face is in the books that they read. or sad You think about that and you don't like about you know, what book of the Bible do people read when they see you, you know for the most part people when they read the the face of Christians. They see that Christians have gotten stuck in limitations. right why we should be we should be stuck in the gospels a man. I should have got some a men's for my Wednesday night Gospel of Mark study group right there. We should we should we should be stuck in the gospels. What is the gospel? The gospel is the good news of Jesus cry, but but here we are in the spiritual warfare and and Satan it is just packed pounding us and pounding us and he's got us looking like we're in the book of limitations.
So this morning let's look deeper. At love and joy, the Greek language describes love and in many different ways are romantic love. There's there's brotherly love there's this agape love. That's the love that that that Paul is talking about here. If that is a Godly love that's that's that's the love that describes the actor abuse in the ways of God. So so if you just flipped back just a few pages to 1st Corinthians chapter 13 weeks and even go back to the last verse and chapter 12. We're going to read over these that really truly understand the love of God the last verse and chapter 12 and I will show you still a more excellent way what he's saying, there's a more excellent way to live life 1st Corinthians 13:1 this if I speak in tongues of men and angels, But I have not love I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal and if I have prophetic and I understand all Mysteries and all knowledge and I have faced. so to remove mountains But I have not love look what he says I am nothing.
What is statements what a statement that says that if you have the faith to move mountains yet. You do not have love you got zip. Nothing. It goes on at the first four. What is love, what does it look like? Love is patient. It's kind. Love does not envy or boast. It is not arrogant. or rude
It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice in wrongdoing. But it rejoices in truth.
It Bears all things believes all things hopes all things. endures all things love never ends or some of your translations will say love never fails.
As we we are seeing this as we are grasping this as we're knowing this what what the love of Jesus is, we remember his words and he said that there is no greater love. That's then one who would lay down his life for his friends. This is a love that that is seeking the absolute best for those around him.
This Is Love what is demonstrated before us? To the point that Jesus gave up his life because he loved us. Amen. This my friends is agape love the love of God He Is This Love live in this love of God in 12 the believer? This love God's the believer. This love is the spirit of God and his love and his spirit. This is who we are. This is his fruits and we bear it.
And this is the nature of that love that that he shows to us that he that he emphasizes to us. That's that it and it goes beyond the obvious what goes beyond what Jesus did on the cross for us throughout his life. He showed an example of hat. What does love look like and he demonstrated before us and John Chapter 13 after the Bible says had caught a couple times just griping one other about who was the greatest we see this this chapter is there in this room and in the end they're about to have dinner and what does Jesus do he he stands up in the middle of this room and he guards himself with the towel. Now remember this this is he he's Jesus right? He's the rabbi. He's a teacher. These people are following him, but he gets up if he goes over he gets a towel and get some water and he goes to every to each and every one of those disciples and he washers. feet
this was a job for a servant to do this was a job for for a young person in in in in the family to do this was the lowliest job. This is not the job of the key. Yeah, he demonstrates for us that he humbled himself in such a way that he comes and he falls before them and washes their feet.
This is a demonstration of love.
This is how Jesus that I love in any goes on it at the end of that chapter in John 13:34. And he gives a commandment it gives a commandment to us and that commandment says this a new commandment. I give to you that you love one another just as I have loved just as he had just demonstrated them. That you also are to love one another and by this all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.
Do you have love my friends? Are you walking in the spirit of love? Well, that's good. Do you have joy? Do you have joy or are you walking in the fruits of the spirit of love and joy, this Joy's is a byproduct of of love. And and I think Joy is the most misunderstood word in the world. Because most people think of when they think of joy that they think of happiness is I think of happiness joy has nothing to do with your circumstances in no way circumstantial it has nothing to do with with how good life is going. It has it has no effect by the weather. It has no effect by your health. If you're sick, you can still have joy. It doesn't have any effect on what your prep pay grade is. It doesn't matter if you're getting paid for your not getting paid enough you can still have joy is there is there's nothing enjoy that is circumstantial it was positive or negative Joy is is is not happiness happiness. Is it something that comes from the word happenstance? It means that you like your circumstances if you like what you doing? I am happy when I have banana pudding. Mega Man
But I'm also Joy full when I have banana pudding.
Joy is something that is movable.
Joy is able to be sustained.
through anything Joy Has satisfaction and contentment wherever I'm at, no matter what is happening to me. Because it's the joy of the Lord tells us that the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Isn't it great to know that that the joy of the Lord is given out in the same way that that God loves us. This is the joy does not rise and fall with my circumstances, but it is constant and it is constant. And when I am walking in the spirit of God Joy is constant is unshakable 1st Peter 1 8-9 says though. You have not seen him. You are you are you love him though? You do not see him and not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is in expressible and filled with the glory obtained by the outcome of your face and your salvation of your soul. In that good in that good to know that that that my joy is made complete when I am in Jesus no matter what's happening to me in this life. No matter what the circumstances are that that they can't take my joy. Emojoie is it is tied to my eternal salvation that I have went when I received the Holy Spirit when I believe the free gift of God in the Salvation recovery and when I put my trust in my faith in him when I repented of my sins When Jesus washed away all my sins and my shame and he wrote my name in the in the Lamb's Book of Life and then he spilled it with his blood I received.
And they can't take that away.
You know really the best Earthly example. True Joy.
comes from birth
You can talk with any lady here that has had a child. an app that will tell you that the birthing process
is not fine. It's agonizing. It's excruciating it is painful.
but the only explanation multiple births
is the joy Which is coming to a mother's arms when that baby is laying into it.
The joy of the Lord is our strength.
Galatians chapter 6 5 and 16 and Moses to understand that we are to walk by the spirit of God. And that when we walk when we when we lay our side are selfish desires when we surrender to God. We find perfect love and joy.
We live. And we bear fruit. I'm love and joy.
And this world. your world the people around you will know you by your fruit.
How are you known today?
What kind of fruit are you bearing?
Is it spirit of God? Guiding you directing you.
and bearing good fruit in here today Maybe you've never known the Lord. personally
And you're here today and you see this you recognize this and and the god of love is is is speaking his Spirit into you and he's calling you. to know his love
Will you be obedient to him today? Just a minute. We're going to pray and then we'll stand and have an invitation will sing a song and this invitation is a time for us to to get things. Right and I will be up here at the front. We're here to pray with you. We're here to to show you deeper of the things of God in the in the word. We're here to love on you and just help you in any way that we can. But it's your opportunity to comment and just spend some time with God. Maybe the Lord's put somebody on your heart that you know is lost and they need they need some spiritual coverage. Maybe you're here today and you understand that you're not been walking in the spirit and you need to get in tune with the spirit of God today. However, God is speaking to you right now. Is that opportunity to move forward in your relationship with him if he just come before you and we should thank you for your word father and I are everything about you is good and father had as soon as you've demonstrated Your Love took towards this God is amazing. Your father out why in the world we would want to live by our our own desires is is is is unreal. When we know you so father, but we are weak. But you are strong. It's about a we asked I asked you to Dale or that you just do a work Among Us the Lord of that starting me, but I pray that you would just help us to be lad and walking in your spirit to love one another.
That can only be explained by you and father we pray that that as we do this or that you would just do amazing things that Revival would break out in amazing way.
and all the glory all the honor will go to you. for your goodness and love how to speak to us today
dross to yourself We pray this in Jesus name. Amen. Let's stand.
Alright for of you. I kept we will have Fellowship dinner and business meeting and I'm following this and then tonight or showing that movie Unbroken. Is it ever seen the movie Unbroken? All right. If you saw that this is the next step of that man was World War II vet and and and I'm not give away a whole lot about the movie but you know, he ends up in a Billy Graham Tent Revival. So I just didn't tell you that so that'll be good with showing that is that you enjoy that promise you next week next week come back and we continue our fruit of the spirit series and then after church next Sunday, we're going to have a
Sunday school lunch in Fellowship where we're going to talk with anybody and it's not just for Sunday school leaders. It's not just for Sunday school at Enders. It's for anybody who ever has Pez heard the word Sunday School. And we're going to talk about different strategies and different things that that that that we have that was set for Sunday school at 2 to bring more Revival into the church. So be in prayer for that this week and then come and join us next Sunday after church for that would be good. All right, and then Sunday night that's when we start our Sunday Sunday night classes. So so please sign up out there for those things so that we can have be prepared for that. Alright. Love you guys. Thank you thankful for you. I would like to ask repeat. Would you would you close to the word prayer and and and say a blessing for our food afterwards?