Dancing With The Star Series

Dancing With The Star

Galatians 5:24

16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. 19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

In the past couple of years a reality show has really caught on called “Dancing with the Stars”. If you are not familiar with the show I’ll give you the gist of it, because that is about all I know. I am not a fan. It is a dancing competition which pairs up a celebrity or star from some other field with a professional dancer. The professional dancer will work with the star over the course of several weeks to teach them to do a different type of dance each week, and they are competing with others doing the same. In dancing one usually takes the lead and the other follows, and this is especially true when one dancer is a pro and the other is a total novice. This is a great illustration of walking in step with the Spirit. Walking with God is not just about doing religious stuff, but about a dynamic relationship with God. Religion is about doing all the right stuff, but you can do it without really walking with God. The stuff I’m speaking about is attending church, small groups, doing service projects, reading the bible, praying etc. Jesus said some would do stuff and still never know him. My great uncle Tommy Music was the church janitor, attended every service, rang the church bell, but was not saved until up in his 70’s.Christ followers may do the same stuff, but it comes out of a relationship not religion.

Back to the illustration. The novice dancer must constantly keep their eyes on the pro, listen to the pro, and move to every prompting the pro gives. They are to mirror the movements of the pro. At first the pro may have to stop the music and loudly explain what they want, but over time the novice will learn to respond to the slightest head nod, or gesture, of the pro. They can be moved by just the eyes, and later almost know what the pro is wanting even before they convey it. Walking in step with the Spirit is like dancing with THE Star. The one and only.

For those of you who are uncomfortable with this illustration you can understand it by watching pairs figure skating. They had a show called Skating with the stars,. Both skaters must move perfectly together in rhythm and sequence in order to succeed. Although here both are usually pros, except the Skating with the stars reality show. It didn’t last long. I think it was a little to difficult to learn so quickly, and the risk of injury was too great

Another example is the relationship between a Nascar Driver, and his Crew Chief and spotters.

The difference is the distance between them on the track, and they can’t see them -only hear them.

Becoming a Christian or a follower of Christ is not just adding Jesus and church to your life on Sunday morning, and your life remaining just as it was before. If you were truly born again and God lives in you, you will never be the same. Jesus sent his Holy Spirit to live in you and be the Professional who knows how to walk in God’s will, and you are the novice who must learn to walk in step with his directing. When you get out of step He will gently get you back in step.

My Band performance in the parades-out of step

It all comes down to one question-

So Who are You being Led by?

(Who are you trying to stay in step with?)

I If you are led by God you will mirror Jesus. (V22-23 Fruit of the Spirit)