The Fruit of the Spirit Series Part 1

The Fruit of the Spirit Series Part 1

Intro: God’s primary pupose is to make us into His image and likeness. This should be our primary purpose too.

          The true nature of God is revealed in the fruit of the Spirit. Because God is love – all joy originates with Him, He is the Prince of peace, His nature is perfect patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness (gentleness) and self control.

When you encounter God and are born again of the Spirit of God then, X lives inside your body. The result of this new life of Jesus living on the inside will be fruit of the Spirit on the outside. Jesus described life to be like this:

“I am the sprouting Vine and you are My branches. As you live in union with me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you—but when you live separated from me you are powerless like a dried up branches to be thrown into the burn pile.  

 But if you live in life-union with me and my words live powerfully within you—then you can ask whatever you desire and it will be done. When your lives bear abundant fruit, you demonstrate that you are my mature disciples who glorify my Father! John 15:5-8 various versions

What are the evidences of transformation?

The measure of transformation is not based on how much knowledge you have (look a the Pharisees).

In fact here’s some thinks to consider.

PIC of you might be a Pharisee:

You might be a Pharisee if:

1.    You are quick to tell people your religious routines.

2.    You are insulted by the notion that you might be a Pharisee.

3.    You are convinced that your opinion is the only right one.

4.    You have changed behavior instead of a changed heart.

5.    You put your trust in your rituals rather than the finished work of Christ.

God does not give you a title – pastor or Apostle to show that you have attained a higher level of growth. He does not hand out certificates of completion or diplomas for graduating.

Growing up in Christ is not based on how many conferences you attended or even experiences you had with God. You measure your growth in Christ by real life experiences particularly in 4 ways:

Perception change: How you see God, yourself and life situations differently because of what Holy Spirit has taught you.

Mindsets change: You see things differently because of the mind of Christ. You don’t react to the negative impulsively like you use to. You live with an expectancy of good from God.

Language change: You use the same language God does when you talk about yourself, or others, or your life circumstances.

Behavior change: You choose to lay aside the old ways of behavior and respond to the grace that God is giving you.

So, is your life bearing fruit because of Christ living in you and being the focal point of your life? 365 days from today the people who know you best should be able to tell you if you are more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self control and in His rest.

Remember the old Disney movie Jungle book. There is a very spiritual song there sung by a character called King Louie that would apply to what I am talking about.

Pic king Louis Jungle book

Oh, oobee doo

I wanna be like you oo oo

I wanna walk like you, talk like you, too –oo –oo

You’ll see it’s true –oo-oo,

That someone like me – ee-ee

Can learn to be someone, like You.

Ill. When you go through the same trial over and over, are you getting better or worse? Even if the situation was intended is from the enemy and was intended to harm you, God uses it to show you more of His nature that is available if you will abide and remain in Him through this storm.

lyrics.

 More love, more power
More of You in my life
More love, more power
More of You in my life

And I will worship You, with all of my heart
I will worship You, with all of my mind
I will worship You, with all of my strength
For You are my Lord

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus . . .” Eph. 2:10

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.”  Rev. 4:11

What is God’s good pleasure for you in this situation?

He is with you in every situation. Life is an adventure so God can show you who really is and what He is really like. Life is also about discovering who you really are in Christ. It brings pleasure to God when you go through all of life and let Him show you these things.

Every fruit of the Spirit has its own perceptions, mindsets, language, and behavior changes that convert us from an earthbound perspective to a heavenly mindset.

If you go through the same circumstances over and over and react the same negative way each time – it means you have an ingrained stronghold and God wants that changed into the opposite to think like Him.

Instead of frustration – peace and patience

Instead of worry, fear – faith and peace

Instead of depression – hope, joy, expectancy of goodness.

Fruit grows slowly.

Abiding is a walk in the Spirit not a run or hurry up.

Only one thing can stop the fruit of the Spirit from growing in your life and that is not abiding.

What does it mean to abide in Christ?

Abiding means living all of life with Jesus as He wants to live His life through you regardless of the circumstances. Receiving His love and giving His love to all who cross your path. Your life focus in on Him and the result of beholding Him is becoming like Him. He has captured your heart and become the love of your life.

-         It means to realize we have a relationship with God where He inhabits us. In OT God would visit people but not inhabit them. The finished work of X on cross now enables Holy God to indwell those born of His Spirit. He does not come and go based on our behavior being good one day and bad the next.

-         God is not moody like us.

“Those who truly love Me are those who obey My commands. Whoever passionately loves Me will be passionately loved by My Father. And I will passionately love you in return and will manifest My life within you.”  John 14:21-22

22 Then one of the disciples named Judas[a] (not Judas Iscariot) said, “Lord, why is it you will only reveal your identity to us and not to everyone?”

Jesus replied, “Loving Me empowers you to obey My word. And My Father will love you so deeply that We will come to you and make you Our dwelling place.  Vs 23

Habitat for Divinity I Cor. 3:16

You are learning how to live with God in every part of your life. The good news is He is always cheerful and fun loving. All god ever wanted in the beginning was a family, children, friendship so He can teach you what life is all about.

Jesus went to the cross and died a criminals death but was totally innocent. He not only went to cross for you, but AS you. He took on your sins and sin nature and crucified it and paying the penalty God demanded to be paid – wages of sin is death. He paid it in full!

Jesus did this and took your sins out of the way so God and you can have a Father/son, Father/daughter relationship. Sin is no longer an issue between God and you. He took care of that.

When you were born again – God put you “in Christ” and “Christ in you” so that Jesus would be the new focal point of your life.

All of Xnty can be summed up on two words of Jesus.

“Follow Me.”

To me this describes what my life is about. I am a born of His Spirit believer. Jesus is alive and well in my body as His temple. Every day my purpose is to follow Him.

Ill. I am learning just like you that we make our plans for the day and off we go. But sometimes God has some divine appointments that we have not planned for. If you are not walking in the spirit – but in the flesh you might interpret a divine appointment with an interruption to your work.

This is why it is important to leave some margins in our schedule.
Beware of the barrenness of the busy life!

          B – Bound

          U – Under

          S -   Satan’s

          Y-   Yoke

Quote Henri Nouen

Concl: The purpose of this series is to make us take at look at our life and measure whether or not we are growing and bearing the fruit Jesus said would happen if we abide in Him.

-         It is primarily for people who are already born of the Spirit and want to know what’s next.

Fruit grows without your performance. It grows simply because you abide.

All our learning now is about how to abide. It is about discovering Who God is to you and to love the learning and unlearning of the old ways that were not God’s ways.

You can’t want new and think old.

This is not going to be hard. Having an expectation of the Xn life is going to be hard is wrong. “My yoke is easy.”

-         God brought you here as an invitation to encounter and go deeper into God’s nature.

If today you got some inspiration from something said, God wants you to take it further.

Inspiration is an invitation to go deeper into exploration to have transformation.

-         However, if your not born again – it will help you to. It will point out you need to have a starting place with God according to His terms.