Bearing the Fruit of Holy Spirit – 9

Bearing the Fruit of Holy Spirit – 9

Subject: Walking in the Fruit of the Spirit – Self Control

Galatians 5:22-26 (NKJV)
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.
²⁴  And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
²⁵  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  

²⁶  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

The Fruit of Holy Spirit – Self-control.

Self-control - the ability to control oneself, in particular one's emotions and desires or the expression of them in one's behavior, especially in difficult situations.

Synonyms of Self-control - self-discipline · self-restraint · restraint · control · self-mastery · self-possession · will power · strength of will · composure · coolness · moderation.

--If there is anything missing in the body of Christ, it is the fruit of Holy Spirit – self-control.

Biblical Self-control - the ability to control one’s emotions and behavior in the face of temptations and impulses.

--Self-control, as a fruit of Holy Spirit, lets us know that there is available to us supernatural strength to be able to do what we cannot do without Holy Spirit’s help. John the Baptist:

Matthew 3:11 (NKJV) ¹¹ I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

--The Apostle Paul gives us this command as he encourages us toward self-control.

Ephesians 5:15-18 (NLT2) ¹⁵  So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.
¹⁶  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.
¹⁷  Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.
¹⁸  Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 

--Maybe you do not see it like I do, but I see Paul telling us that if we will have self-control, it will be possible because we are filled with Holy Spirit. It will still be our choice.

--Paul says we need to be careful how we live…use self-control…don’t live foolishly. He tells us to understand what the Lord wants us to do…we should give great thought to what the will of God is for our lives. 

Proverbs 3:5-7 (NKJV) ⁵  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
⁷  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. 

1. To operate in the fruit of the Spirit ‘self-control’ we must understand God is in control.

--Do you trust in the Lord with all your heart that He is in control of every situation? We usually have problems with self-control when we feel things are out of our control.

--There are many times when things are out of our control but there are never times when life is out of God’s control. How you react to life’s trials will be greatly affected by how you trust God or not.

--How you determine to flow in the fruit of Holy Spirit will also be determined by how you make up your mind to trust God with all of your heart. Everyone say, “God is in control!” 

Romans 8:26-28 (NKJV)
²⁶  Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
²⁷  Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
²⁸  And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

A. God knows that we have weaknesses and He is always there to help us.

B. God knows there are times that things are so bad we do not even know how to pray. 

C. God knows Holy Spirit is there making intercession for us as we pray in the Spirit. 

D. God knows what is in our hearts and He knows what Holy Spirit is saying.

E. God knows what His will is so He prays according to His divine will. 

F. God knows what we need and He works all things together for our good. All things.

G. God knows we have all been called according to His purposes, so He works it for our good.

Pro. 19:20-21 (NKJV) ²⁰  Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days.
²¹  There are many plans in a man's heart, Nevertheless the LORD'S counsel--that will stand. 

--Remember that, it is the Lord’s counsel that will stand…you can trust Him because He is the One Who is in control. Pray for His will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven. 

Joshua 1:8-9 (NIV) ⁸ Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
⁹  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

2. To operate in the fruit of Holy Spirit ‘self-control’ we must walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.

Galatians 5:25 (NKJV) ⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 

 

1 Samuel 24:3-6 (NIV) ³  He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave.
⁴  The men said, "This is the day the LORD spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.'" Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul's robe.
⁵  Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe.
⁶  He said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD." 

--Let me establish before we move forward with this story that David had blessed Saul in so many ways. He fought and killed the enemies of Saul. He killed his ten thousand and more for his king.

--He would minister music to Saul and the spirit that was sent from the Lord would depart from him and the Bible said he would be refreshed and made well. 

--He even defeated a nine-foot-tall giant who was taunting Israel and Israel’s God. Saul was too afraid to fight him but David trusted God. 

--David is the example of a man walking in the Spirit and Saul is definitely an example of a man walking in the flesh. You would think David would be Saul’s best buddy. See how sin blinds us. 

--Saul threw spears and David while he was playing the harp and trying to pen him against the wall. He chases him like a dog and wants to destroy him. Anger and bitterness out of control. No self-control.

--Saul has the Special Forces of Israel’s army pursuing David with him and he is bent on getting rid of this young guy who was a threat to his kingdom. 

--David never would have been a threat to Saul if he had lived righteously and had been obedient to God’s commands. Many of our problems are our all creations.

--The remainder of this message, let’s look at the self-control that David used in this situation where Saul was in the most vulnerable situation possible.

--Let me point out how incredible of a warrior David must have been to be able to sneak up on Saul in a cave when he is relieving himself and cut the corner of his robe off without him knowing. Maybe noisy! 

A. Recognize David’s self-control when he had his peers encouraging him by using the God card. 

--Many times our so-called friends will encourage us that God is on our side when we want to take vengeance on someone that we have an issue with. Be careful thinking that is the case. God wants you to be happy. Really?

B. Recognize David’s self-control had not allowed the evil of another to cause him to compromise. 

--He immediately felt bad that he had touched the king (his master) in such a threatening way. Trials and persecution never gives you a right of retaliation. 

Matthew 5:44-45 (NKJV) ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
⁴⁵  that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

C. Recognize David’s self-control made him hesitate long enough to recognize God’s hand on Saul.

1 Chronicles 16:22 (NKJV) ²² Saying, "Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm." 

D. Recognize David’s self-control gave him the strength to not allow others to attack the king.

Warning: Do not take up an offense of someone else or allow others to take up your offense. Be careful who you share your junk with. You may get over it but someone else will take it to the next level.

E. Recognize David’s self-control caused David to humble himself before the king (his enemy).

--Humbling ourselves before our enemies puts them in a place where they have to deal with God. 

F. Recognize David’s self-control left it up to the Lord to avenge him.

Romans 12:19&21 (NKJV) ¹⁹ Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.
²¹  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 

Humility – 7

Humility – 7

Subject – Humility and Holiness

By Rick Welborne

Isaiah 65:1-5 (NLT2)
¹  The LORD says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name.
⁵  Yet they say to each other, ‘Don’t come too close or you will defile me! I am holier than you!’ These people are a stench in my nostrils, an acrid smell that never goes away. 

--We don’t hear about this like we used to, but there is a movement in the church is called the holiness movement. There are churches who proudly emphasis that they are holiness.

Andrew Murray – The great test of whether the holiness we profess to seek or to attain is truth and life will be whether it is manifest in the increasing humility it produces. In the individual, humility is the one thing needed to allow God’s holiness to dwell in and shine through him or her. In Jesus—the Holy One of God, Who makes us holy—divine humility was the secret of His life, His death, and His exaltation. 

--The one infallible test of our holiness will be our humility before God and others. Humility is the bloom (what people say and smell) and the beauty of holiness. 

--The main way you can tell if holiness is counterfeit is the lack humility. All of us have to be on our guard that as we seek after holiness, we do not allow pride to slip in. Proud of being holy.

--Ladies, your dress can be down to the floor, your hair can be so long you have to put it in a beehive bun to keep it from touching the ground, and you can go without makeup. Paint the barn.

--Men, you can always wear long sleeves all the way to your hands and you can make sure you don’t have facial hair but if you don’t have humility (if you are proud) it accomplishes nothing. 

--We had a couple who came from a church near us. They told us how they had an outreach to the bus kids parents who were coming. The church police stood outside the door.

--Any of the parents who came with tattoos, men with earrings, ladies with dresses not past their knees, a cap, or any other rule made by them were turned away by the Pharisees. So sad.

1. Two Men Go to Pray.

Luke 18:10-13 (NKJV) ¹⁰ "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
¹¹  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
¹²  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'
¹³  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'

--We mentioned these two last sermon. They both go to pray, one a Pharisee and one a tax collector. The Pharisee (because of his title and position) had access wherever he wanted to go.

--Pride can lift its head even in the temple of God and can make its worship a scene of self-exaltation. Everyone look how holy and wonderful I am. Not like this guy, the tax collector. 

--When I was the youth pastor here, a man stood and prayed to himself. Eloquent, loud, powerful, and with convicting influence. Hard to swallow for sure.

--The pastor told me he was going ask him to let his name run for the Board of Deacons. He was politicking. 

--I tried to discourage the pastor. He asked me, “Did you here that prayer?” Yes, that is why I am saying don’t let him run. He will try to hurt us and the church. He was voted in.

--Within a year, this man brought before the board and the pastors pages and pages of accusations against us. The Pharisee in him came out quick. 

--In this story we see Jesus tells us that the tax collector left their justified.

Luke 18:14 (NLT2) ¹⁴ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

--Can I give us a caution? The tax collector (the sinner) and the Pharisee (the one who displays his holiness) need to both be on their guard. Why?

--I believe we have both of these men inside of us. And when we come to church hopefully to pray and seek God, these two come along.

--The tax collector doesn’t have to worry so much about the Pharisee but maybe he should worry about the Pharisee inside of him. Look how I humble myself before God.

--In this story we know this man was sincere but many times we can be guilty of displaying our humility before others. I was such a sinner but look at me know, crying to God.

--The Pharisee needs to be careful he doesn’t become like Satan and the angels coming before God.

Job 1:6 (NLT2) ⁶ One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. 

--You see, you can be in God’s House, in God’s presence and be lifted up in pride and arrogance. Satan and Pharisees love accusing others. Can’t see their own pride.

Quote – Sadly, pride is the first thing we see in others and the last thing we see in ourselves. 

2. False Humility and Pride.

Luke 18:11 (NIV) ¹¹ The Pharisee stood up and prayed about (to) himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector.

--Sometimes our lack of humility and pride can be revealed by our prayers. Our spoken attitudes.

Murray – Yes, even when the language of penitence and trust in God’s mercy alone is heard, the Pharisee may take up the note of praise and in thanking God be congratulating himself. Pride can clothe itself in the garments of praise or of penitence.   

--Maybe we would never say “I am not like other men.” Because those words would be rejected or condemned, but their spirit may too often be in our feelings and attitude toward others.

--If you struggle to believe if that is true, just listen to how we talk about our brothers and sisters to others. Notice how little of the humility and meekness of Jesus is seen.

--You can see it in the church or any work of the Lord in how the saints are so touchy and impatient, self-defensive and self-assertive, sharp judgment and unkind words. Others better? Nope!

--When we have to have the best seat, access to the mic, be on the platform, recognized for all the wonderful things we are doing, and when “Me” has to be acknowledged. Exalting others?

--Notice the difference of walking thru a time of humility and brokenness, and being clothed with humility.

--There is a big difference of those who truly have a humble spirit and who are constantly counting himself to be the servant of others, and having the same attitude Jesus had.

--We see in our text the parody of holiness. Jesus is the Holy One and He is the humble one. The holiest will always be the humblest. We are holy based on how much of God we have in us.

--Humility is nothing but the disappearance of self and knowing that God is all in all. If you feel you have attained to some level of holiness, it should be evidenced by your humility.

--How you treat the people in the church and how you treat people in the world will reveal if you have the attitude of the Pharisee, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men.”

3. Less Than the Least.

Ephesians 3:7-8 (NIV)                                                                                                                                             ⁷  I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power.
⁸  Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

1 Tim. 1:15-17 (NLT2) ¹⁵ “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.
¹⁶  But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.
¹⁷  All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.

--Please notice the contrast…less than the least. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all and 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men.

--The one who realizes he is the least and the worst realizes the reason for God’s mercy on him was to give other people hope. All honor and glory to God forever and ever!

--The Pharisee, even in his prayer, reminds God what a great bargain He is getting by having him. Paul and the tax collector show their humility while the Pharisee displays His pride and arrogance.

--Never for a moment could Paul forget that is was a wretched sinner that God had taken up in His arms and crowned him with His love. Maybe we should remember what Christ has done for us.

--Paul cries out in Romans 7…Who shall deliver me from this body of death, this pride, this arrogance, from myself? Thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

--Our calling is to bask in God’s holy, redeeming love, endeavoring to always put on the compassion of Christ (Humility), to being filled with Holy Spirit…how can we not be humble?

Psalm 145:1-5 (NLT2)
¹ I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever.
²  I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever.
³  Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.
⁴  Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power.
⁵  I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. 

--Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up!

Bearing the Fruit of Holy Spirit – 8

Bearing the Fruit of Holy Spirit – 8

Subject: Walking in the Fruit of the Spirit - Gentleness

By Rick Welborne

Galatians 5:22-26 (NKJV)
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.
²⁴  And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
²⁵  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  

²⁶  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

The Fruit of the Spirit – Gentleness. Gentleness is one of those words that is consistent in every translation.

Gentleness - the quality of being kind, tender, or mild-mannered. Softness of action or effect; lightness.

A courteous or chivalrous quality attributed to noble birth.

--Even though these definitions come from secular sources, we definitely can see them in our walk as Christians. Believers should be kind, tender, and mild mannered.

--Believers should have a softness to their actions and their intentions…a lightness in all their dealings that identify people with Jesus. 

--I particularly like this one. A courteous or chivalrous quality attributed to noble birth. We have been born again…we have been born again by the King of Kings. We should be courteous, chivalrous in Christ.

--There should absolutely be a difference in someone who identifies with Jesus Christ…someone who calls Him Lord and Savior. As far as I am concerned…rude is totally unacceptable in God’s House.

--Now we have all heard statements like…Christians are the rudest people on the planet. They are the only ones who shoot their wounded. Church people are the worst! It is simply not true.

--The issue is not with Christians or church people…the issue is with people. Until I came to Life Church, I always had to work secular jobs to supplement my income. I had to work with people.

--I have played team sports and I have been around people in every kind of setting. People can be extremely difficult no matter where you are. Tennis is a good example.

--A few years ago we were playing doubles and there was a dispute over a call. Three people were in agreement and one man totally disagreed. One of those three was his partner.

--He lost it! He started screaming and cussing like I had never heard on a tennis court! He called me what I have never been called…you may want to cover your ears. He called me a dictator!

--The other two guys were dying laughing which made the man even more angry. He cussed all the way to his car. Is he going to get a gun? He did not come back that day.

--Two weeks later he comes back to play tennis and he comes and apologizes. He said I am so sorry for getting so angry, but just for the record, I was right and you guys were wrong. I just laughed!

--My point here is to say that people are difficult in almost every setting but, Christians have no excuse for being rude and difficult, when we have Holy Spirit to help us. This man did not show gentleness.

1. Gentleness as an Action.

Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary - Gentleness - Sensitivity of disposition and kindness of behavior, founded on strength and prompted by God’s love. 

--The Old Testament. Gentleness is suggested by the waters of a stream or by wine flowing over lips and teeth. It stands in contrast to baseness, harshness, and wildness. 

--The supreme example of gentleness is Israel's God. He cares tenderly for the flock under his care, and "gently leads those who have young". He leads them by still waters. Ps. 23

--He discloses himself not just in wind and earthquake and fire, but in "a gentle whisper". God comes to console us with a gentle whisper. To Elijah, a still small voice. New Testament – Jesus.

Mat. 11:28-30 (NCV) ²⁸  “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest.
²⁹  Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives.
³⁰  The teaching that I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light.“ 

--When I read these verses so much jumped off these pages into my heart and my spirit. Of course we immediately see the gentleness of Jesus wanting us to come to Him. What I saw about us. 

A. What if we so displayed gentleness, people would feel they had an invitation to come to us?

B. What if those who are tired of sin or their burdens (the heavy loads of this life) could come to us?

C. What if people truly could feel that having spent time with us brought them rest and peace?

D. What if people could learn from us and accept our wisdom knowing it would bring them hope?

E. What if people knew they could come to us and find humility (gentleness). Their burdens lighter.

--Isn’t this what gentleness should look like from those of us who claim to be followers of Jesus and those who claim to be Christ-like…to be Christian. 

Colossians 3:12-13 (NIV) ¹² Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
¹³  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

2. Gentleness as an Attitude.

--This is what Paul was saying in Colossians 3. Gentleness is something you should put on whenever you deal with people…family, friends, co-workers, church family.

--We have all heard people say…this is just who I am…like it or lump it! This is the way God made me and I am not going to change. Please do not blame God for your rude behavior. 

--The truth is people who do not operate or flow in gentleness are operating in a spirit of rudeness or intimidation. They try to control people through fear.

--Most people will not stand up to spiritual bullies because they come across with such a spirit of superiority and authority. Just let them have their way and everything will be alright.

--I don’t think so! I think spiritual bullies need to be confronted because of their anti-Christ attitude. Jesus would have never led with that kind of attitude. Listen to Paul:

 2 Corinthians 10:1 (NIV) ¹ By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you--I, Paul, who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" when away! 

--Paul is simply saying here that as believers we don’t act like or deal with people the same way the world does. He did not like it but time to time he had to deal with rude worldly people. 

--My point here is this…we should constantly be dealing with everyone with a spirit of gentleness. Yes, it will take Holy Spirit to help us and to bear in us the fruit of the Spirit…gentleness. 

--I talked to our staff the other day about spiritual equity. You earn spiritual equity whenever you display the fruit of Holy Spirit to others over a long period of time. 

--Unfortunately, people try to spend spiritual equity they have not earned…it takes time and it takes consistency. Bearing this kind of fruit with a loving attitude increases your influence.

Warning – You can spend all of the spiritual equity you have built up with one outburst of anger or one display of an attitude that is not Christ like. One untimely mistake can bankrupt you in people’s eyes.

Romans 13:13-14 (NIV) ¹³  Let us behave decently…¹⁴ Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

3. Gentleness as an Announcement (Our Words).

Proverbs 15:1-2 (NLT2) ¹ A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.
                                                                                                                                                                                    --There is no way to adequately measure the damage that has been done to churches where harsh words have been spewed from one church member to another. 

--What is always so sad to me is that both feel they are right and that they are representatives of Jesus Himself. If we represent Him, it might be good if we acted like Him. 

Isaiah 53:6-7 (NLT2) ⁶  All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.
⁷  He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. 

--Jesus did not open His mouth. Is that the kind of gentleness we show? No matter how hard you work in the church, if you have the disposition of a pit bulldog, all your acts of kindness will be nullified.

--When I think of gentleness being a fruit of the Spirit, I think about people like John Mason. He is the same every time you see him and he is always gentle with his demeanor. 

2 Tim. 2:24 (NKJV) ²⁴ And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient…

4. Gentleness as an Affection (Touch).

--Jesus was such an example to us in this area of gentleness especially in regard to touch. He touched the lepers which was totally against Jewish law. You would be unclean. He touched children:

Mark 10:13&16 (NKJV) ¹³ Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
¹⁶ And He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them.

--The nurturing touch of a hug builds trust and a sense of safety. Hugs can heal feelings of loneliness, isolation, and anger. Holding a hug for an extended time lifts one's spirit and brings life. 

--Hugs strengthen the immune system. Hugging boosts self-esteem. From the time we're born our family's touch shows us that we're loved and special. 

--Hugs teach us how to give and receive. Hugs educate us how love flows both ways. Hugs are like meditation and laughter. The energy exchange between the people hugging is an investment in the relationship. 

Virginia Satir - a respected family therapist, “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need twelve hugs a day for growth.”

--The fruit of the Spirit – gentleness – brings wonderful healing. This is why I love going around hugging and gently touching all of you. Healing for you and for me!