Fruit Of The Spirit # 2a

One thing you will find common in most churches it that there is one basic thing missing. WHAT IS MISSING?

Illus: Let me explain what is missing by telling you a story of a young boy who went to spend the week with his grandfather on the farm.

• While walking around he noticed the chickens. They were scratching and playing around. The little lad said, “They ain’t got it”.

• Next he saw a colt in the field playing and kicking up its heel’s and he said, “He ain’t got it”.

• After examining all of the animals on his grandfather’s farm and seeing that none of them had “it”, this boy finally saw the old donkey in the barn. When he saw the donkey’s long, frowning face and the way that the donkey just stood there he screamed for his grandfather to come quick. “I found it, I found it,” the boy kept yelling. When his grandfather asked what he had found he said, “Pa-Pa, I found an animal that has the same kind of religion that you have.” (Chris Layton, SermonCentral.com)

There are a lot of grumpy people around today in God’s churches. But in all fairness, you find grumpy people in other places also.

Illus: A man had a problem and went to the doctor’s office. As he walked in, he was met by the receptionist, who seemed sad and mad at the world.

The man told her that he had a sore on his chin and that he wanted the doctor to examine the sore.

This grouchy old nurse said: “Down the hall, first door to the right, and take off your clothes for the doctor to examine you."

"But ma’am," he said, "it’s just a sore on my chin. I don’t think all that is necessary."

She repeated, "Down the hall, first door to the right, and take off your clothes so the doctor can examine you!"

"But ma’am," he said.

"Down the hall, first door to the right, and take off your clothes!"

He went down the hall reluctantly, took the first door to the right, walked in and saw another man already sitting there in his boxer shorts, shivering.

He said to him, "Boy, that receptionist is really something, isn’t she? I just have a little sore on my chin and she told me to come down here and take my clothes off for the doctor to examine me.”

The man in the boxer shorts said shivering, "You think that’s bad? I’m the UPS delivery man."

We live in a world of MOODS, and one of the moods we see a lot is SADNESS.

Illus: I was told that a housewife in this church was recently heard praying this prayer:

• "Dear Lord, I pray for wisdom to understand my man.

• Love to forgive him.

• Because Lord…If I pray for strength and you give me strength I'LL BEAT HIM TO DEATH!"

But there are things in this life that sometimes happen that bring us HAPPINESS.

Illus: Saddam Hussein and his chauffeur were rolling down the highway when suddenly they hit a pig crossing the road. They killed it instantly.

Saddam tells his driver: "Go to da farm over dere and explain to da owner of da pig what happened."

One hour later, Saddam sees his driver coming back from the farm, and he is drinking and smoking this long cigar.

Saddam said, "What happen to you? Why are you drinking and smoking dat long cigar?”

"Well, the farmer’s wife insisted that I eat supper with them. After the meal he gave me this cigar and a bottle of wine to drink.”

Saddam Hussein said, "My Word! What did you tell them?"

The driver answered: "Good evening. I am Saddam Hussein's chauffeur and I have just killed the pig.” “I do not know why they were so happy."

We find SADNESS and JOY everywhere we go. We tend to equate happiness with Joy, but they are two totally different things. They each spring from a different source. For example:

• Happiness comes from the world AROUND US. Happiness comes from happenings. If people treat me well, if things are going well in my life, then I’m happy. If my circumstances aren’t favorable, then I’m unhappy.

• Joy comes from the Holy Spirit WITHIN US. The Hebrew word means, “To leap or spin around with pleasure.” In the New Testament the word refers to “gladness, bliss and celebration.”

The one place that you should find JOY is within the church. Why?

• The people around us can have HAPPINESS because a lot of good things happen to them.

• Only God can put JOY within a man’s heart.

You see, there are a lot of folks who have the happiness that the world has in their life, but they know that something within them is missing.