WEBVTT 00:00:04.709 --> 00:00:13.288 In case you haven't caught on, today we're talking about the Spirit and my name is John. 00:00:13.288 --> 00:00:21.402 I am one of the pastors here and I get the privilege of serving with so many great men in our congregation. 00:00:21.402 --> 00:00:29.888 It's been awesome and I have the absolute privilege of working with kids, along with Rob and Chris and so many of you and our team. 00:00:29.888 --> 00:00:39.122 We're all about team here at Trinity, and if you feel called into that ministry, you come and talk to us, because we're always anxious to add on. 00:00:39.122 --> 00:00:44.253 So this morning our text will be Galatians, chapter 5. 00:00:44.253 --> 00:00:47.799 And I thought it would be do things a little bit different. 00:00:47.799 --> 00:00:53.930 I have a special guest, which will be on video, that's going to read a scripture for us. 00:00:53.930 --> 00:00:54.451 Is that okay? 00:00:54.451 --> 00:00:55.514 All right. 00:00:57.720 --> 00:01:13.469 For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control Against these things there is no love. 00:01:21.451 --> 00:01:30.174 All right, talk about hard to follow and family members, you're welcome. 00:01:30.174 --> 00:01:36.530 Okay, okay, such a blessing, isn't it amazing? 00:01:36.530 --> 00:01:39.680 Two years old children can remember scripture, right? 00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:40.722 We know that they can. 00:01:40.722 --> 00:01:43.909 The things that they can retain are just amazing. 00:01:43.909 --> 00:01:49.447 So I encourage you, parents, you know, sit with your children and teach them the word of God. 00:01:49.447 --> 00:01:52.212 It'll stick with them forever. 00:01:52.212 --> 00:01:58.421 We know that, right, and what a great time in their lives that they can just absorb the word like that. 00:01:58.421 --> 00:02:01.987 So thank you all for those that helped put this together. 00:02:01.987 --> 00:02:11.371 We're appreciative of it and I don't know, I think the adorable meter just broke, but we're thankful for that. 00:02:11.371 --> 00:02:22.812 And I know that the Holy Spirit I've been talking about the Holy Spirit for a couple weeks and I know the fruit of the Spirit may seem kind of familiar to us, right, and something that maybe, hopefully, we have memorized. 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:48.548 But just because something is familiar doesn't mean we should overlook it, right, and we know Scott challenged us in the beginning of the series to just absorb the Word of God and to be open to the Word of God, because the Holy Spirit talks to us all the time and the Word of God is alive, and it's just amazing how you can read a verse a hundred times and you go back and read it again and it can just minister to you in a whole different way. 00:02:48.548 --> 00:02:58.175 So let's not just think because we know all the words and we've said things a hundred times or we are so familiar with scripture that we can overlook it. 00:02:58.175 --> 00:03:05.592 But we're going to look into scripture today and it's just exciting to know that we do have the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. 00:03:05.592 --> 00:03:13.305 So, yeah, we're talking about the fruit of the Spirit and it's found in Galatians, chapter five, and Galatians. 00:03:13.305 --> 00:03:22.967 It's an interesting book and it's written by Paul to the church in Galatia, and Galatia would be modern day Turkey today. 00:03:22.967 --> 00:03:39.219 I don't really suggest visiting it right now, but it is modern-day Turkey and Paul was writing this letter to the Galatians because they were having trouble with doctrine, they were preaching false doctrine. 00:03:39.219 --> 00:03:46.832 And when you read through Paul's letters to all the different churches and you read Galatians, you can see that there's kind of a different tone. 00:03:46.832 --> 00:03:56.763 He's talking very strongly to them because of the false doctrine and the false doctrine that they were teaching was a lot of. 00:03:56.802 --> 00:04:08.001 The Jewish believers were teaching that salvation comes through Jesus, through Christ, but also obedience to the law right, namely circumcision. 00:04:08.001 --> 00:04:15.712 And we know that Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life. 00:04:15.712 --> 00:04:31.790 No one comes to the Father, but by me and Paul, very upset about this false doctrine that has crept in, and was just very strong with them to say no, it's Jesus, right, jesus alone, there's freedom from the law. 00:04:31.790 --> 00:04:37.670 Moses gave the law, but now we have freedom from the law, and salvation is not through obedience to the law. 00:04:37.670 --> 00:04:44.233 There's nothing you can do to add or subtract from God's word, but it's through Jesus and Jesus alone. 00:04:44.300 --> 00:04:45.262 So let's look at some verses. 00:04:45.262 --> 00:04:49.783 We'll start in the beginning of the chapter, chapter 5. 00:04:49.783 --> 00:04:50.105 Again. 00:04:50.105 --> 00:04:58.329 We'll start at verse 1 and I think we'll just go to verse 6. 00:04:58.329 --> 00:05:02.322 Okay, it's chapter 5. 00:05:13.442 --> 00:05:23.083 I think we're chapter 5, guys, here we go, all right, for freedom. 00:05:23.083 --> 00:05:25.166 Christ has set us free. 00:05:25.166 --> 00:05:31.026 Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 00:05:31.026 --> 00:05:33.230 Right so God Christ has given us freedom. 00:05:33.230 --> 00:05:38.411 And if we can move down to verse six, we'll just skip down a little bit. 00:05:40.560 --> 00:05:50.355 For in Christ Jesus, either circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. 00:05:50.355 --> 00:05:58.274 And this is what Paul is preaching to the church in Galatia to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. 00:05:58.274 --> 00:05:59.805 You don't have to add to it. 00:05:59.805 --> 00:06:02.629 You can't take away from it. 00:06:02.629 --> 00:06:08.252 And as Paul was so strong in his faith, today, in today's world, we need to be strong. 00:06:08.252 --> 00:06:08.593 Also. 00:06:08.593 --> 00:06:12.511 We need to remember that it's Jesus period. 00:06:12.511 --> 00:06:19.434 Right, it's not Jesus plus plus this or that or something else, but it's Jesus period. 00:06:19.434 --> 00:06:28.954 And along with this freedom, paul warns them that we have freedom from sin, not freedom to sin. 00:06:28.954 --> 00:06:32.449 Correct, big difference, right, big difference. 00:06:32.449 --> 00:06:40.630 Sin enslaves us, sin causes bondage in our lives, but the salvation of the Lord gives us freedom from it. 00:06:41.141 --> 00:06:44.271 So let's check out some verses in this chapter. 00:06:44.271 --> 00:06:48.471 We'll go through verse 13 through 21. 00:06:48.471 --> 00:07:04.384 Pulling it up, for you were called to freedom, brothers. 00:07:04.384 --> 00:07:20.613 Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love, serve one another, for the whole law is fulfilled in one word you shall love your neighbor as yourself. 00:07:20.613 --> 00:07:28.112 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. 00:07:28.112 --> 00:07:48.403 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh, for the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 00:07:48.403 --> 00:07:57.341 But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law and we're thankful for that. 00:07:57.482 --> 00:08:18.382 Right Now, the works of the flesh are evident sexual immorality, sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like these. 00:08:18.382 --> 00:08:23.108 I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do these things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 00:08:23.108 --> 00:08:42.846 I don't know about you, but when I compare reading the fruit of the Spirit and then we read the desires of the flesh, I feel darkness, I feel a heaviness, right when I read the description of all the fruit, all the desires of the flesh. 00:08:42.846 --> 00:08:56.389 And it's so important Paul's bringing out these things here that there is a difference between what the Spirit gives us and what our flesh desires or what the enemy wants to entrap us in. 00:08:56.389 --> 00:09:02.446 And I know that sometimes we can just concentrate on the positive. 00:09:02.446 --> 00:09:11.133 But the reason the positive is there is because we fight an enemy and there's negativity out there and there's sin and there's destruction. 00:09:11.133 --> 00:09:28.583 And Satan is a liar right, he's a liar and he's a deceiver and he has such a great way of making all of our fleshly desires seem so wonderful and so attractive, but we know that when we follow that path it ends in death and destruction. 00:09:28.583 --> 00:09:37.043 And to compare it to love and joy, peace, you know, it's just a wonderful thing. 00:09:37.225 --> 00:09:42.544 Sometimes I think we get the wrong idea of God right, that God's just trying to strike us down. 00:09:42.544 --> 00:09:45.773 But he's a God of love, he's a God of compassion. 00:09:45.773 --> 00:09:48.624 We have the Holy Spirit that helps us in these areas. 00:09:48.624 --> 00:09:55.644 We no longer have to be enslaved by sin, but we can have freedom. 00:09:55.644 --> 00:10:02.589 Because of what Jesus did on the cross and we've heard it so much today already, because of His death and His resurrection, we now have freedom. 00:10:02.589 --> 00:10:05.961 We don't have to live his death and his resurrection. 00:10:05.961 --> 00:10:06.361 We now have freedom. 00:10:06.361 --> 00:10:07.605 We don't have to live in the bondage of sin and all that. 00:10:07.625 --> 00:10:15.649 And I love as the verses continue and we've heard it a few times today and maybe we'll hear it a few more times but in verse 22,. 00:10:15.649 --> 00:10:19.581 And there's that little word and we talk about it all the time here. 00:10:19.581 --> 00:10:31.885 But Paul goes through the list of our desires of the flesh and the dangers of them and how they can destroy us and entangle us, and there's that little word right. 00:10:31.885 --> 00:10:35.910 But and here comes redemption, right. 00:10:35.910 --> 00:10:46.067 So thankful for Jesus so thankful that even though there's death and destruction and sin, there's always redemption right. 00:10:46.067 --> 00:10:50.471 There's always God calling us. 00:10:50.471 --> 00:10:52.626 It's not the condemnation right. 00:10:52.626 --> 00:10:59.591 We know the difference between that condemnation guilty, without any hope of redemption. 00:10:59.591 --> 00:11:01.053 But this is redemption. 00:11:01.659 --> 00:11:05.431 And then we hear that, but the fruit of the Spirit. 00:11:05.431 --> 00:11:12.745 And I don't know about you, but when I read the two, I know which one I want, I know which one I did. 00:11:12.745 --> 00:11:14.505 There's no comparison. 00:11:14.505 --> 00:11:21.153 Do I want to be angry and anxious or do I want to have love and peace? 00:11:21.153 --> 00:11:23.625 And I'm so thankful for that. 00:11:23.625 --> 00:11:37.943 And I want to look a little bit at the beginning here, because the goodness of God is so great and I know when we saw our kids today and all the things they were doing. 00:11:37.943 --> 00:11:38.666 It's just. 00:11:38.666 --> 00:11:50.013 I'm so privileged to be able to work with these kids and I remember as my kids were growing up that I always prayed over them that they would see the evil of sin and the goodness of God, right. 00:11:50.013 --> 00:12:00.047 So I encourage us as parents and grandparents and family members and all the kids in our church pray over them that their eyes are open to the evil of sin, right. 00:12:00.047 --> 00:12:09.193 I know some of these words in here and some of this scripture may feel heavy and all but our kids or the younger generation need to see that sin is dark. 00:12:09.193 --> 00:12:14.952 There is darkness in sin, but there's goodness in God and to follow after goodness of God. 00:12:15.380 --> 00:12:18.006 And in the next verse we see but the fruit of the spirit. 00:12:18.006 --> 00:12:27.519 And this word fruit in the scripture here is referring to the natural product of a living thing, the natural product of a living thing, the natural product of a living thing. 00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:40.509 So you have an orange tree and the natural product of an orange tree is, wow, you guys are fast, right, and that's what it's going to produce. 00:12:40.509 --> 00:12:47.113 So it refers to the natural product of a living thing and it's also singular. 00:12:47.113 --> 00:12:55.634 All right, it's not fruits plural of the Spirit, but it's singular fruit of the Spirit. 00:12:55.634 --> 00:13:02.111 So we see nine attributes here, but they all go together in unity, right, they're unified together. 00:13:02.111 --> 00:13:19.144 It's different than the gifts of the Spirit and we'll be going through them throughout this series and we know that some may have gifts of prophecy, some may have the gifts of tongues, some may have and all these different gifts and each one of us, god bless us with gifts and some are different than others. 00:13:19.866 --> 00:13:22.861 You can't pick and choose the fruit of the Spirit. 00:13:22.861 --> 00:13:35.783 Right, you can't say, well, you know, I really like this love, that's really good, and you know, peace, yeah, let's take that, this goodness, I don't really feel like that today. 00:13:35.783 --> 00:13:38.590 Self-control what are you kidding me? 00:13:38.590 --> 00:13:41.962 You know we can't pick and choose them. 00:13:41.962 --> 00:13:50.879 They go together, they're unified, all right, the Lord has put them there as an example of his character. 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:54.447 It's the character of Jesus that we're looking at here. 00:13:54.447 --> 00:14:06.490 Because of the fruit of the Spirit, they all represent the character of Christ, okay, and also, it's not the fruit of the believer. 00:14:07.471 --> 00:14:12.825 Right, as we read the scripture, they do not say the fruit of the spirit. 00:14:12.825 --> 00:14:17.664 Okay, it's the spirit that produces the fruit. 00:14:17.664 --> 00:14:21.946 Right, we can't produce it on our own, you know. 00:14:21.946 --> 00:14:30.625 It does not say the fruit of John on his best day, being the best version of himself, whatever that means. 00:14:30.625 --> 00:14:32.549 I don't even know what that means, but that's what they say. 00:14:33.639 --> 00:14:41.842 All right, it doesn't say that because on my best day, I do not have the power to produce any of this. 00:14:41.842 --> 00:14:47.734 Right, on my best day, I cannot love the way Jesus loved On my best day. 00:14:47.734 --> 00:14:52.687 I am not good the way Jesus was On my best day. 00:14:52.687 --> 00:14:56.293 I don't have patience, and that's a lot of days. 00:14:56.293 --> 00:15:12.907 Okay, let's be honest, because we know that the Spirit is working in all of us, right, we know that together, that we're going through this journey of sanctification, but I feel like a lot of times, we feel like we have to do it on our own right. 00:15:12.907 --> 00:15:18.182 We know the fruit of the Spirit love, joy, peace and I have to have these things in my life and I need to do what I need to do to have them in my life. 00:15:18.644 --> 00:15:19.325 And what happens? 00:15:19.325 --> 00:15:24.832 We fail, right, we come up short, day by day, and the Lord is still there. 00:15:24.832 --> 00:15:29.705 The Lord still has mercy, he still has forgiveness, he's patient with us. 00:15:29.705 --> 00:15:31.048 What do we call this? 00:15:31.048 --> 00:15:39.144 Holy Spirit is called the comforter, right, so he's there with us, trying to train us and lead us and guide us, but we're trying to do it on our own. 00:15:39.144 --> 00:15:48.047 When it's not the fruit of the believer but it's the fruit of of the Spirit dwelling inside of us. 00:15:48.047 --> 00:16:02.821 When we come to the point in our lives where we realize that we need the Lord and we need a Savior, and he comes into our heart and our lives and changes our minds and changes our direction, and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit comes into our life. 00:16:02.821 --> 00:16:07.148 That's where the power is Not on our own. 00:16:07.148 --> 00:16:09.390 There's no self-help here. 00:16:09.671 --> 00:16:22.062 Okay, it's Jesus period and the Holy Spirit producing these attributes, these nine attributes that reflect the character of Christ, as we can see here. 00:16:22.062 --> 00:16:31.336 And last week Tyler mentioned to us that the Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus. 00:16:31.336 --> 00:16:35.490 I don't remember which point it was, but I know it was in there. 00:16:35.490 --> 00:16:40.408 The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus by producing fruit. 00:16:40.408 --> 00:16:42.273 I was a little worried. 00:16:42.273 --> 00:16:47.032 I thought he might steal more of this week, but he did great. 00:16:47.032 --> 00:16:48.525 He just ended it there. 00:16:48.525 --> 00:16:51.028 But that's the Holy Spirit's job. 00:16:51.028 --> 00:16:56.971 It produces the fruit that glorifies Jesus, the character of Jesus inside of us. 00:16:56.971 --> 00:17:09.844 That needs to be in there and it needs to be evident, right, Like I said, we can't just pick and choose on our good days, but we have to realize that we represent Christ, we're followers, we're believers in Jesus. 00:17:09.864 --> 00:17:14.887 But we have to realize that we represent Christ, we're followers, we're believers in Jesus and God has put that Holy Spirit inside of us to give us that strength. 00:17:14.887 --> 00:17:17.849 Because it's not easy, is it Right? 00:17:17.849 --> 00:17:25.675 It's easy to memorize, it's easy to quote, it's fun to get up and we sing the song, and you know, we know it back and forth. 00:17:25.675 --> 00:17:27.416 But what about living it. 00:17:27.416 --> 00:17:31.842 You know, is that not the hard part? 00:17:31.842 --> 00:17:34.005 And this is not condemnation in any way. 00:17:34.005 --> 00:17:37.348 Guys, we know we're preaching to all of us today. 00:17:37.348 --> 00:17:50.922 Right, we're all in the same struggle, trying to honor the Lord and trying to do what God has commanded us to do. 00:17:50.942 --> 00:18:09.429 But I just realized throughout my Christian life that when I really understood the fact that I don't have to do this, I don't have to do this in my own power, that I have the Holy Spirit and he's the one who placed these things in our lives, and he has the power inside of us to help us show it right, is that not a big relief? 00:18:09.429 --> 00:18:19.185 I know to me it was a big relief to realize I don't have to produce all this, right, I don't have to produce all this, and I know we've all heard before. 00:18:19.185 --> 00:18:30.451 You know, a Christian, if an orange tree produces oranges, then a Christian should produce these things, these qualities, the fruit of the Holy Spirit. 00:18:30.451 --> 00:18:31.134 But that's not true. 00:18:31.134 --> 00:18:46.542 We're not the ones who are producing it, it's the Holy Spirit inside of us, and I'm so thankful for that that we do have that Holy Spirit comforts us, guides us, directs us, because without Him it's impossible. 00:18:47.306 --> 00:18:49.835 So I feel like some people may be discouraged. 00:18:49.835 --> 00:18:52.383 You know you may be battling with some of these things. 00:18:52.383 --> 00:18:55.369 It's like, ah, over and, over and over again. 00:18:55.369 --> 00:18:56.833 I just can never have victory. 00:18:56.833 --> 00:19:02.089 You know, let's examine ourselves and see what are we doing? 00:19:02.089 --> 00:19:09.813 Are we trying to produce these attributes, the character of Christ, or are we allowing the Holy Spirit to do the work? 00:19:09.813 --> 00:19:11.544 Because we can't do it. 00:19:11.544 --> 00:19:12.627 It's only the Holy Spirit. 00:19:16.260 --> 00:19:22.631 Let's go ahead and look at the individual ones, and we're not going to spend a lot of time today. 00:19:22.631 --> 00:19:28.310 We've had a lot of things going on and you know, family Sunday is a special Sunday around here. 00:19:28.310 --> 00:19:49.952 We do it every fifth week every month where there's a fifth week If you're wondering if you've not been here before, or maybe you've been here a few times on the fifth Sundays, when they pop up, it's Family Day and we bring the kids in and we do these kind of things and we get to share a little bit different service than we normally would have. 00:19:49.952 --> 00:19:53.871 But love is the first one, right. 00:19:53.871 --> 00:19:56.087 But the fruit of the Spirit is love. 00:19:56.087 --> 00:20:06.751 It's agape love, this love that's selfless, it's not concerned about ourself, and this blessing of love is foundational. 00:20:06.751 --> 00:20:10.409 Is it an accident that Paul mentioned at first? 00:20:10.409 --> 00:20:16.951 No, right, if we don't have love, forget it, right, we could. 00:20:16.951 --> 00:20:17.972 We can stop right there. 00:20:17.972 --> 00:20:22.330 Whatever we're doing, if we're not doing it in love, it's not going to matter. 00:20:23.099 --> 00:20:27.443 Let's check out Romans, chapter five, verse eight, verse 8,. 00:20:27.443 --> 00:20:49.384 But God shows his love for us and that while we were still sinners, christ died for us, not once we cleaned up our lives, not when we became better people, not when we were beneficial to society, but while we were dead in our sins. 00:20:49.384 --> 00:20:50.227 Jesus died for us. 00:20:50.227 --> 00:20:50.646 That's the sins. 00:20:50.646 --> 00:20:51.008 Jesus died for us. 00:20:51.008 --> 00:20:52.731 That's the love that God had for us. 00:20:52.731 --> 00:21:06.134 And in 1 John, 4, 7 through 8, beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 00:21:06.134 --> 00:21:18.816 And we can go on to 1 Corinthians, chapter 13, verse 1 through. 00:21:18.816 --> 00:21:19.576 We'll go to 3. 00:21:21.079 --> 00:21:26.232 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 00:21:26.232 --> 00:21:38.673 And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains but have not love, I am nothing. 00:21:38.673 --> 00:21:45.782 If I give away all I have and if I deliver up my body to be burned but have not love. 00:21:45.782 --> 00:22:01.111 I gain nothing Foundational here and we'll be going through the gifts of the Spirit in the next few weeks, but if we do not exercise those gifts with love, what did we just hear? 00:22:01.111 --> 00:22:02.744 It's just a loud noise. 00:22:02.744 --> 00:22:05.827 I grew up with a drummer in my house. 00:22:05.827 --> 00:22:08.467 I understand loud noise. 00:22:08.467 --> 00:22:10.988 I understand clanging cymbal. 00:22:11.539 --> 00:22:14.769 So this verse is I can relate to this verse right? 00:22:14.769 --> 00:22:18.507 So let's concentrate on that. 00:22:18.507 --> 00:22:19.461 What are we? 00:22:19.461 --> 00:22:20.905 What we are doing? 00:22:20.905 --> 00:22:22.290 Are we doing it out of love? 00:22:22.290 --> 00:22:26.711 Are we doing it for self-motivation, for a good feeling? 00:22:26.711 --> 00:22:32.672 When Jesus died for us, it wasn't for a good feeling, it was out of love. 00:22:32.672 --> 00:22:38.391 So the first characteristic of Christ and the fruit of the Spirit is love. 00:22:38.391 --> 00:22:39.173 Second one joy. 00:22:39.173 --> 00:22:42.647 Are you thankful for joy this morning? 00:22:42.647 --> 00:22:56.270 We have a lot of tragedy we've spoke about today and Scott did such a great job this morning praying for those in need, and there's a lot of believers, a lot of people that have been affected. 00:22:56.330 --> 00:22:59.768 Whether you're a believer or non-believer, but I know there's joy. 00:22:59.768 --> 00:23:08.789 It may sound kind of harsh, but there's people are living in the joy of the Lord today because it's not happy, right? 00:23:08.789 --> 00:23:12.083 We know that joy is not dependent on our circumstance. 00:23:12.083 --> 00:23:21.662 Happiness depends on circumstance right, we're happy if UT beats Florida, right, it makes us happy. 00:23:21.662 --> 00:23:33.056 If they lose, we're sad, right, and whatever situations we're in, happiness comes and goes it, but joy is there, right? 00:23:33.096 --> 00:23:35.903 So let's check out nehemiah 8, 10. 00:23:35.903 --> 00:23:52.054 Then he said to them go on your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready for for this day is holy to our Lord and do not be grieved. 00:23:52.054 --> 00:23:57.712 And here's the key, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. 00:23:57.712 --> 00:24:06.868 It's not as long as you're happy, then we're good, as long as whatever you're doing makes you happy. 00:24:06.868 --> 00:24:08.321 No, it's. 00:24:08.321 --> 00:24:11.570 The joy of the Lord is our strength. 00:24:11.570 --> 00:24:33.742 And I know, looking at it, at many of you, that you've had hardships in your life and you've had devastating things happen in your life, and you can testify to the fact that, even though you may be sad and distraught, that knowing God and understanding the true meaning of knowing God is real in your life, that's what's getting you through it. 00:24:33.742 --> 00:24:41.042 Right, that's the joy that's there In Psalms 35, chapter 30, verse 5,. 00:24:41.042 --> 00:24:48.394 For his anger is but for a moment and his favor is for a lifetime. 00:24:48.394 --> 00:24:53.300 For a moment and his favor is for a lifetime. 00:24:53.320 --> 00:25:01.714 Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning, right, and I know these are again easy verses to read. 00:25:01.714 --> 00:25:11.194 But when you're in the middle of that night and you're desperate and you're not sure which direction to go, why is this happening? 00:25:11.194 --> 00:25:13.503 It's not quite as easy, is it? 00:25:13.503 --> 00:25:19.103 But the joy of the Lord is our strength and he's there in those darkest, darkest times. 00:25:19.103 --> 00:25:28.220 And that's so encouraging to me because you know, we can't just fake it, right? 00:25:28.220 --> 00:25:31.306 We can't just, oh, praise the Lord, everything's falling apart in my life. 00:25:31.306 --> 00:25:34.551 Yippee, all right, what does that do? 00:25:34.551 --> 00:25:35.653 That doesn't do anything. 00:25:35.653 --> 00:25:45.150 But when we're weeping, it doesn't say you should never weep, you should never cry, you should always be smiling and a Christian should never have a bad day, right? 00:25:45.150 --> 00:25:46.441 It doesn't say that. 00:25:46.441 --> 00:25:51.366 It's indicating that there are troubles, that there are desperate times. 00:25:51.366 --> 00:26:05.433 You're weeping, all right, and you may weep all night long, and it may be a season in your life it could be months, it could be years that there's weeping, but joy will come. 00:26:05.433 --> 00:26:07.423 Joy is in the morning. 00:26:07.423 --> 00:26:13.749 Peace, love, joy, peace. 00:26:13.900 --> 00:26:17.530 Philippians 4, verses 6 and 7. 00:26:17.530 --> 00:26:38.894 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 00:26:38.894 --> 00:26:41.847 Isn't that just a wonderful promise of the Lord? 00:26:41.847 --> 00:26:46.750 We still have to hold fast to the first part of the verse. 00:26:46.750 --> 00:26:50.372 Remember, we have to be steadfast, we have to be thankful, we have to be in communication of the verse. 00:26:50.372 --> 00:26:53.606 Remember, we have to be steadfast, we have to be thankful, we have to be in communication with the Lord. 00:26:53.606 --> 00:26:55.251 Right, that's part of it. 00:26:55.251 --> 00:27:04.132 We can't just again be going off on our own and wondering why we don't have peace when we've not laid all of our cares and all of our anxiousness at the feet of Jesus. 00:27:04.132 --> 00:27:07.809 You know why is prayer always our last option? 00:27:07.809 --> 00:27:14.970 It should be our first response, but so many times in my own life I've done everything else. 00:27:14.970 --> 00:27:16.525 You know I need to pray about it. 00:27:18.182 --> 00:27:21.266 It's like what I've got it all backwards. 00:27:21.266 --> 00:27:34.753 But just as a believer, knowing that we have the peace of the Lord, right, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, brings us peace in our growing, in our struggles, in our failures. 00:27:34.753 --> 00:27:38.345 The Holy Spirit's still there to comfort us and give us peace. 00:27:38.345 --> 00:27:39.768 It's a wonderful thing. 00:27:39.768 --> 00:27:43.013 Patience. 00:27:43.013 --> 00:27:45.227 I think we can just skip this one. 00:27:45.227 --> 00:27:50.871 I don't think anyone has a problem with patience. 00:27:50.871 --> 00:27:51.452 I know I. 00:27:51.452 --> 00:27:53.181 You know I don't have a problem with patience. 00:27:53.181 --> 00:28:00.611 Patience, ephesians 4, 1 and 2. 00:28:00.611 --> 00:28:09.240 I therefore, a prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. 00:28:09.240 --> 00:28:17.375 Urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing one another in love. 00:28:17.375 --> 00:28:21.335 And we have a few of the fruits in here, don't we Patience? 00:28:21.515 --> 00:28:26.144 We live in a society that is impatient, right? 00:28:26.144 --> 00:28:33.675 Our whole culture is kind of engulfed and we're programmed to be impatient. 00:28:33.675 --> 00:28:50.269 I know, when I went to Africa a couple years ago it's Tanzania Pastor Mark was with us and I don't know why, but he specifically told Derek and I you're on what? 00:28:50.269 --> 00:28:52.632 Tanzania time? 00:28:52.632 --> 00:28:58.182 Okay, you are not on your time, you're not on American time. 00:28:58.182 --> 00:29:14.941 You're here in Tanzania, you're on African time, all right, tanzania time, tanzanian time. 00:29:14.941 --> 00:29:16.044 You know we are so conditioned to just, oh my. 00:29:16.044 --> 00:29:21.201 Anything that interrupts our daily lives or causes us to have to veer in a different direction or whatever just gets us so upset. 00:29:21.201 --> 00:29:23.666 You know, I know I struggle with this. 00:29:23.666 --> 00:29:25.952 I can be coming to church at eight in the morning. 00:29:25.952 --> 00:29:29.249 There's not a person on the road, and then one person pulls in front of me. 00:29:29.249 --> 00:29:45.813 I'm 20 minutes early, but I'm still upset Because I know I can make it to church in 10 minutes and maybe today I can do it in 9, right, struggle with that being impatient, and we all do. 00:29:45.813 --> 00:29:50.740 But aren't you thankful that we serve a Lord that's patient? 00:29:50.740 --> 00:29:53.403 The Holy Spirit is so patient with us. 00:29:53.403 --> 00:30:01.228 I just can't imagine what it would be like if the Lord didn't have patience with me. 00:30:01.228 --> 00:30:05.830 But His love is patient, it's enduring, it lasts. 00:30:05.830 --> 00:30:14.116 The many times I've failed, the many times I just couldn't do what the Lord was calling me to do. 00:30:14.116 --> 00:30:15.218 But he was patient with me. 00:30:15.218 --> 00:30:19.980 Think of the life of Jesus. 00:30:19.980 --> 00:30:33.131 Three years with the disciples, yeah right, three years, jesus, god in the flesh, walking with them, teaching them, training them and over, you know. 00:30:33.131 --> 00:30:35.432 And we are no different right. 00:30:35.432 --> 00:30:36.953 We are no different than the disciples. 00:30:36.953 --> 00:30:41.397 It's easy to mock them and to what's wrong with them. 00:30:41.397 --> 00:30:44.323 They had Jesus in the flesh. 00:30:44.323 --> 00:30:46.750 Right, we have Jesus also and we have the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. 00:30:46.750 --> 00:30:48.727 Yet we still struggle, right. 00:30:48.727 --> 00:30:58.513 But we serve a patient God and I was just praying that the Lord would help me in this area to be more patient in so many different areas of our lives. 00:30:59.740 --> 00:31:01.227 Kindness, all right. 00:31:01.227 --> 00:31:14.440 Ephesians 4, verse 32 says be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God and Christ forgave you. 00:31:14.440 --> 00:31:19.635 And I love the way the scripture points out who God is, who Jesus is. 00:31:19.635 --> 00:31:27.907 And it's not just you need to be kind, it's need to be kind because Jesus is kind, because the Lord is kind and he's put kindness in our lives. 00:31:27.907 --> 00:31:34.978 And I just think it's amazing that we live in a world where kindness is like breaking news. 00:31:34.978 --> 00:31:42.990 You ever notice it's like, oh, waitress in Chicago gets a $100 tip, oh, so great. 00:31:42.990 --> 00:31:45.113 You know somebody was kind to this waitress. 00:31:45.113 --> 00:31:47.131 Is that where we've gone? 00:31:47.131 --> 00:31:56.835 You know, kindness is so rare in our world, in our society, that the least little bit and that's a great thing. 00:31:56.835 --> 00:31:59.270 And if you want to give a tip like that. 00:31:59.270 --> 00:32:01.757 God bless you and it's awesome. 00:32:01.757 --> 00:32:03.169 We need to do more things like that. 00:32:03.169 --> 00:32:09.654 But it's so odd, anymore People don't wow, they're being kind. 00:32:09.654 --> 00:32:12.573 You know it's unexpected kindness. 00:32:12.573 --> 00:32:31.474 But as believers, it is so important that we show kindness, right, that we're not just so quick to judge, quick to tear down oh, they should have known better, they should know but to show kindness one to another, goodness which kind of goes together with kindness. 00:32:33.076 --> 00:32:35.486 Galatians, chapter 6, verse 10. 00:32:35.486 --> 00:32:46.028 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. 00:32:46.028 --> 00:32:49.315 All right, and this goodness implies action. 00:32:49.315 --> 00:33:01.132 Now we had a serve day yesterday and Derek thanked you all so much and it was such a blessing to see our congregation being out there serving others out of goodness. 00:33:01.132 --> 00:33:04.165 Right, it's an action it's doing and the people that we were serving. 00:33:04.165 --> 00:33:10.810 We're not trying to get them to come to Trinity, right, that wasn't our motive, that wasn't what we were trying to do. 00:33:10.810 --> 00:33:12.588 We're just trying to show the love of Christ. 00:33:12.588 --> 00:33:13.511 We're just trying. 00:33:13.853 --> 00:33:15.036 We see people in need. 00:33:15.036 --> 00:33:24.228 Just like the verse said, as we have opportunity, when we see somebody in need, we should be kind, we should show goodness to those. 00:33:24.228 --> 00:33:27.113 We don't need to pray and ask the Lord. 00:33:27.113 --> 00:33:30.478 Right, lord, should I show goodness to these people? 00:33:30.478 --> 00:33:40.806 He's like well, yeah, you know you shouldn't just walk on paths and follow the example of Christ being good to people. 00:33:40.806 --> 00:33:43.616 And we know that goodness does not get us into heaven. 00:33:43.616 --> 00:33:44.661 We know that, right. 00:33:44.661 --> 00:33:56.954 But we also understand that God has given us that command to be good to others, to show the love of Christ by being good, by doing good things to them and also to those who are in the household of faith. 00:33:58.865 --> 00:34:05.134 It's not just showing goodness to those that are lost, right, sometimes, because we're in the family of Christ. 00:34:05.134 --> 00:34:13.811 Sometimes, maybe, we don't show goodness to each other that much, right, just like in our family, you have your family setting. 00:34:13.811 --> 00:34:21.255 A lot of times you say things when you're at home or with your family because it's comfortable and they love you, no matter what you do. 00:34:21.255 --> 00:34:24.672 And you know we get a little lazy in how we treat one another. 00:34:24.672 --> 00:34:33.465 That's not the word says we should be good during these times too, whenever the opportunity there. 00:34:33.465 --> 00:34:37.494 Faithfulness, faithfulness such a wonderful word. 00:34:37.494 --> 00:34:42.485 Faithful, loyal. 00:34:42.485 --> 00:34:46.909 Everyone should have a friend that they can rely on, right, we know we have Jesus. 00:34:46.909 --> 00:34:50.572 He's always there for us the power of the Holy Spirit inside of us. 00:34:50.572 --> 00:34:54.594 But what a great character Christ had of faithfulness. 00:34:55.735 --> 00:35:03.159 And when you know you're getting in late, at 4 am in the airport and your ride didn't show up, who are you going to call? 00:35:03.159 --> 00:35:07.402 Right, it's not a 90s movie, so don't think that way. 00:35:07.402 --> 00:35:11.269 Who would you call? 00:35:11.269 --> 00:35:19.405 You have that and I know you're all thinking of a person right now that you know that you could call, that would come to you in that need, right, faithful. 00:35:19.405 --> 00:35:23.817 So are we being faithful to the Lord the way that you know he is so faithful to us? 00:35:23.817 --> 00:35:25.806 It's just a wonderful thing. 00:35:25.806 --> 00:35:28.592 We can be faithful in our giving. 00:35:28.592 --> 00:35:32.385 We can be faithful in honoring the Lord, faithful in our witness. 00:35:32.385 --> 00:35:43.467 There's so many areas that faithfulness goes into and I know, you know for myself I need to improve in so many areas and it's through the power of the Holy Spirit that's made possible. 00:35:43.467 --> 00:35:48.547 But I'm so thankful for the Lord that he is faithful, above all when we don't even deserve it. 00:35:48.628 --> 00:35:56.855 Proverbs, chapter 3, verse 3 and 4, let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you. 00:35:56.855 --> 00:36:03.052 Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 00:36:03.052 --> 00:36:08.775 That should always be our prayer that the Lord could find us faithful when we stand before Him. 00:36:08.775 --> 00:36:14.177 Well done, good and faithful servant. 00:36:14.177 --> 00:36:22.918 This is something that's very important to the Lord our faithfulness and again mirroring the character of Christ, how faithful he is to us. 00:36:22.918 --> 00:36:24.592 It's just such a wonderful thing. 00:36:25.905 --> 00:36:29.235 Gentleness, proverbs 15, verse 1. 00:36:29.235 --> 00:36:31.528 Gentleness Proverbs, chapter 15, verse 1. 00:36:31.528 --> 00:36:37.579 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 00:36:37.579 --> 00:36:42.568 Is that evident in our world right now? 00:36:42.568 --> 00:36:45.956 It is so easy to defend ourselves. 00:36:45.956 --> 00:36:54.447 It's so easy to come at somebody and well, I won that argument. 00:36:54.467 --> 00:36:58.317 I told they said this and then I said that and I just, you know that's not what the Lord has commanded us to do. 00:36:58.317 --> 00:37:02.931 And you know, being gentle does not mean we are weak. 00:37:02.931 --> 00:37:07.487 It takes a lot more strength to keep our mouth shut. 00:37:07.487 --> 00:37:24.349 Right, it's easy to share what you think or what you feel or how the other person is wrong and so on, but it takes spiritual strength, it takes the power of the Holy Spirit to keep. 00:37:24.349 --> 00:37:25.931 I know, keep my mouth shut. 00:37:25.931 --> 00:37:35.373 It definitely needs the power of the Holy Spirit because I want to defend what I believe and that's what the Lord is saying Be gentle. 00:37:35.414 --> 00:37:36.876 And we think of the example of Christ. 00:37:36.876 --> 00:37:44.757 Wow, you know, people accusing him, beating him, spitting on him, cursing at him. 00:37:44.757 --> 00:37:48.887 The Son of God, I'm here to save these people. 00:37:48.887 --> 00:37:52.195 No, it wasn't his no, it never entered his mind. 00:37:52.195 --> 00:37:57.135 He was gentle, he did not speak harshly. 00:37:57.135 --> 00:38:04.735 It's also in Matthew, chapter 5, right, we see the Beatitudes the meek shall inherit the earth. 00:38:04.735 --> 00:38:14.652 Again, it's not weakness, and it takes a whole lot of strength to be quiet and to be meek and to be understanding than to just mouth off. 00:38:15.525 --> 00:38:29.456 And I know, like I said, in our society today, especially during all these, the political time that we're in right now, it's just everywhere, right, everyone is just anxious to say what they think or what they feel. 00:38:29.456 --> 00:38:41.050 But the Lord has given us strength and the Holy Spirit is there to help us to, when it's time to speak, speak with gentleness, speak with love, go all the way back to the beginning. 00:38:41.050 --> 00:38:43.471 Are the things that we're saying? 00:38:43.471 --> 00:38:48.175 Are we doing it in love or are we doing it just to prove a point or win an argument? 00:38:48.175 --> 00:38:52.733 Last, self-control. 00:38:52.733 --> 00:38:58.097 I love these verses Titus, chapter 2, verses 11 and 12. 00:39:03.567 --> 00:39:21.599 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age. 00:39:21.599 --> 00:39:29.655 I think the NIV says, training us to say no, we don't have to give in to the desires of the flesh. 00:39:29.655 --> 00:39:31.650 We don't have to do that to the desires of the flesh, we don't have to do that. 00:39:31.650 --> 00:39:39.137 We are a new creation and too often I think that the enemy likes to just bombard us with that lie. 00:39:39.137 --> 00:39:41.090 Well, that's just the way you are. 00:39:41.090 --> 00:39:46.536 People need to accept you for the way you are, whatever issues you have. 00:39:46.536 --> 00:39:51.036 And the Holy Spirit is like no, the character of Christ is inside of you. 00:39:51.036 --> 00:39:57.795 The Holy Spirit is producing that inside of us, that being able to keep in control. 00:39:57.795 --> 00:40:00.693 The Holy Spirit can produce that in our lives. 00:40:01.204 --> 00:40:02.670 It is not easy, is it? 00:40:02.670 --> 00:40:03.974 It is not. 00:40:03.974 --> 00:40:09.072 It is much easier to just do what we want when we want, and you know, that's it, that's the way it is. 00:40:09.072 --> 00:40:10.543 I can do what we want when we want, and that's it. 00:40:10.543 --> 00:40:12.150 That's the way it is. 00:40:12.150 --> 00:40:18.536 I can do what I want and that's kind of the attitude and the atmosphere in society. 00:40:18.536 --> 00:40:20.331 But the Lord is there to help us. 00:40:20.331 --> 00:40:25.617 If we're not asking him, then we're not going to be able to stay in control. 00:40:26.666 --> 00:40:30.793 And just again, the example of Christ self-control. 00:40:30.793 --> 00:40:44.172 He did not let anybody rattle him or get him upset, but he was true to the mission that he was there to complete the death on the cross and to do it for us because of his love for us. 00:40:44.172 --> 00:40:47.818 So we do not have to fall into that line. 00:40:47.818 --> 00:40:51.893 That's it, it's not going to matter. 00:40:51.893 --> 00:41:04.166 I remember when, some years ago, I had an issue on my back or something I forget what it was and I went to the chiropractor and he worked on me for a number of weeks and I said, well, that's just going to be the way it is. 00:41:04.166 --> 00:41:06.068 He didn't like hearing that. 00:41:06.068 --> 00:41:10.695 No, no, no, really, I just didn't want to keep spending money. 00:41:13.219 --> 00:41:19.815 But we don't have to fall into that trap where, well, you know, that's just the way I am. 00:41:19.815 --> 00:41:21.945 No, the Lord wants to give us victory. 00:41:21.945 --> 00:41:31.094 Right, there's victory in Jesus, right, jack, victory in Jesus, victory in the Holy Spirit, and we do not have to fall into that lie. 00:41:31.094 --> 00:41:42.378 And through the power of the Holy Spirit and these nine attributes, the nine characters of Christ, we can live victorious, right, we can have that victory that is ours. 00:41:42.378 --> 00:41:48.112 And here's the thing you know we need to exercise the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. 00:41:48.112 --> 00:41:49.275 Okay, the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. 00:41:49.275 --> 00:41:52.201 The fruit of the Spirit is not optional. 00:41:52.201 --> 00:41:54.570 It's not optional. 00:41:54.570 --> 00:41:59.115 The Lord has given us the fruit of the Spirit to use it. 00:41:59.115 --> 00:42:02.554 We cannot just say well, you know no. 00:42:04.068 --> 00:42:28.367 The Lord has given us the fruit of the Spirit and he wants us to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit, that same power that raised Jesus from the Spirit, and he wants us to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit, that same power that raised Jesus from the dead, that lives inside of us, and the Holy Spirit producing this fruit, not trying to produce it on our own, but trying to understand the fact that it's the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit alone, that produces that fruit in our lives. 00:42:28.367 --> 00:42:29.168 That's what gives us the victory right. 00:42:29.168 --> 00:42:30.791 That's what gives us the victory right. 00:42:30.791 --> 00:42:38.059