Over the past weeks we’ve been looking at the Fruit
of the Spirit as we’ve been in our study, ‘Character
Counts’.
By now we understand that while the Gifts of the
Spirit are important, it is character, in the end that
really counts. This is no better demonstrated than in
1 Cor. 13 where Paul lays out a whole list of Spiritual
Gifts and then says, “But if I don’t have love, I am
nothing!”
This morning I want to wrap up this series, but first a
little review:
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law
against these things!
1. Love –“agape.” It’s the 1 Corinthians 13 kind of
love based on God’s love for the unloveable.
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2. Joy. Happiness comes from outward things; joy is
internal and comes from looking at our circumstances
through the lens of the long-term work of God in our
lives.
Phil. 4:4 NKJV - Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I
will say, rejoice!
3. Peace - Eirene, meaning tranquility of mind. This
tranquility comes from knowing we are at peace with
God.
Philippians 4: 6-7 NKJV- 6 Be anxious for nothing, but
in everything by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to
God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.
4. Patience - “longsuffering.” It is the opposite of
short-temperedness.
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Eph. 4:2 NIV “Be completely humble and gentle; be
patient, bearing with one another in love.”
So, with that review let’s continue to look some of
the additional characteristics of God that He wants to
become a part of our Character…
5. Kindness. One definition (Plummer) – “The
sympathetic kindness or sweetness of temper which
puts others at their ease and shrinks from giving
pain.”
“Three things in human life are important: the first
is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third
is to be kind.” – Henry James
R.T. Kendall says it just means “be nice!” It is being
considerate and friendly. It is what makes people
want to be around you. Some think kindness is a sign
of weakness and that to be hard and harsh, even un-
kind, is a sign of strength. But if you take a look at
the example of the greatest and strongest man who
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ever lived, Jesus Christ, you will see a kind man.
Little children saw His kindness and loved Him.
Prostitutes and tax collectors saw his kindness and
sought His company.
One of the biggest differences between Jesus and
many of His followers is in their attitude toward
sinners. Sinners loved to be with Jesus because He
was such a kind person. He had the fruit of the Spirit
in full-blown manifestation without limit. He is our
pattern. He was a friend of sinners. And it is a
character trait that ought to be observable in every
follower of Jesus.
Eph. 4:32 NKJV- “And be kind to one another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in
Christ forgave you.
6. Goodness - agathosune. One definition is “generous
goodness”. William Barclay says, “The great
characteristic of agothosune is the generosity which
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gives man what he never could have earned.” This is
contrary to the world’s greedy, grasping attitude that
is always seeking to get.
The fruit of the Spirit of goodness causes us to be
more interested in giving than getting. Giving is the
very nature of God. God so loved the world that he
GAVE! His children share that nature. This generosity
does not see how little it can give and still be pleasing
to God, but how much it can give. And it is a
generosity that is willing to give to people who don’t
deserve it.
Matt. 5:16 NKJV – “ 16 Let your light so shine before
men, that they may see your good works and glorify
your Father in heaven.”
7. Faithfulness. In the KJV it is translated “faith”.
Newer versions get to the heart of the meaning
“faithfulness.” Phillips translation renders it
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“fidelity.” Barclay calls this “the virtue of
reliability.”
It is dependability. Someone has said, “dependability
is the one ability without which all other abilities are
useless.”
The Holy Spirit instills faithfulness in the believers so
they can use effectively and consistently the gifts He
has placed in them to be used for His glory and to
build up the body of Christ.
Can I just be honest with you about this? One of the
greatest griefs of pastors is watching people with
great ability, people who have been gifted by the
Holy Spirit to serve in His Kingdom, who are not
faithful in the ministry God has entrusted to them.
So Paul writes to Timothy, 2 Tim. 2:2 NKJV – “ And the
things that you have heard from me among many
witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be
able to teach others also.”
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1 Cor 4:2 NKJV – “ 2 Moreover it is required in stewards
that one be found faithful.”
8. Meekness. Meekness is probably the most
misunderstood manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit.
Meekness has often been misunderstood as weakness,
the “doormat complex.” That is not what this word
means.
The Greek word for meekness or gentleness was a
word that was used for a high-spirited horse that had
been well trained. Picture a strong, muscular Arabian
steed with bowed neck and prancing feet awaiting the
command of his master. He’s powerful enough that he
could go any direction he wants, and the rider could
do nothing about it. But the rider tugs to the right
and he goes to the right; he pulls the rein to the pulls
the rein to the left and the horse goes left. He gives a
slight pull and the horse stops. He touches the flanks
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and all of the massive strength of that animal goes
into action in response to the touch of the master.
In other words it is “strength under control.”
Meekness is not weakness. Meekness is strength, but it
is strength that is in submission to the Master.
Meekness is an attitude toward God that says all of
my powers, all of my abilities are under submission to
Him. And if God puts me in submission to someone
else, as far as serving in the ministry of His Kingdom is
concerned, I can submit myself (spiritually, mentally,
and relationally,) to that authority.
Jesus personifies meekness. In Matt. 11:29 He said,
“ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am
meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls.” (NKJV)
9. Self-control. Or better, “Spirit-empowered self-
control.”
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It is victory over desire. It is not allowing fleshly
desires to be the dictator of our actions and our lives.
This trait runs counter to the modern humanistic
philosophy that says, “if it feels good, do it.” But is
the lifestyle of the Spirit-filled believer. Spiritual gifts
are at home in the atmosphere of self-control. In the
life that has been fully surrendered to the direction
and prompting of the Holy Spirit.
Gal. 5:16 NKJV – “ 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and
you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. “
Conc.
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our
lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is
no law against these things!
I believe that making it our goal to allow the fruit of
the Holy Spirit to shape our character would put us a
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long way toward being the kind of committed follower
of Jesus Christ He wants us to be.
Shifting Gears a bit…before I wrap up today…
One month from today is Easter Sunday. It’s probably
the biggest single day of Church attendance of the
whole year.
And we are planning again this year to have a great
service to which you can invite you friends to come
and hear the gospel presented.
We are going to go “all out” again – just as we have
done time and again over the past few years
And we are going to need all hands on deck again.
There will be lots of opportunities to serve
as Ushers, Greeters and Parking Lot attendants –
teams working at our Guest Central –
and teams preparing a follow-up meal and
inviting our guests to come back the next week.
The train will be back – the kids had a blast on
the train.
We are going to be having an Easter Egg Hunt!
And of course, we will presenting the message of
Easter
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This year we have chosen the theme: Empty!
(Put up the Graphic from Front of Business/Invite
cards)
“It took and empty cross and an empty tomb to fill an
empty life.”
And some may wonder: “Why are we going to do all
of this? Why go through all the trouble? And the
answer is simple:
Because we want to reach the lost and unchurched
and introduce them to a Jesus who was willing to die
to pay the penalty for our sins, so that we might
experience the fullness of life that is found in the
resurrection of Christ.
Let me be very clear: EASTER IS NOT ABOUT US!!!
EASTER AT SPIRITLIFE IS ABOUT THE UNCHURCHED!
And here’s the deal. If all we do is come together as
a bunch of Christians and have a good time, we will
have failed our mission. Our mission – YOUR mission
– is to invite as many UNCHURCHED people in your
circle of influence as possible to join you – to see
you – to have fun – at our Easter Celebration.
I have shared with you before 3 Ways to Personally
Invite People to church:
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1. Come Sit with Me
2. Come Serve with Me
3. Come See Me
Statistics show that roughly 90% of all the people in
church today came because they were invited by
someone they knew.
And another statistic: Only 17% of Americans attend
Church. Only 17%!!!
Don’t tell me that you don’t know anyone who
needs to come to church.
INVITING PEOPLE YOU ALREADY KNOW to come to
church is the greatest/most efficient way to Grow,
not just our church, but the Kingdom! And Actually,
Easter is probably the best/easiest day to invite
people to church.
CONCLUSION: Musicians Come
So there are a couple of Action Steps that I am
asking you to take today:
1) In the foyer at Guest Central you will find
signups to make our Easter a great experience
for our guests:
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Ushers
Greeters
Parking Lot
Easter Train
Worship
Altar Ministry
Guest Central
Children’s
Ministry
Egg Hunt
Follow-Up
Guest Meal
I am asking everyone here to serve on a team
for at least one of the services on Easter. (Sit
1 Serve 1)
2) When you came in this morning, you saw
some cards on your seat.
a. Prayer Card (Go over card)
b. Invite Cards (Don’t you chicken out and just
hand these out at Wal-Mart to strangers, or
leave them on the bench at a bus stop)
c. In just a moment we are going to ask
each of you to bring your Prayer Card up to
the front. Stay in the altar. We are going to
pray together for God to bring these people
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to our Easter Celebration as we invite them,
and for Him to give us souls that day, and for
God to help us in all our preparation.
