Love, Joy, Peace Series

GETTING FRUIT FROM GOD’S GARDEN SERIES: LOVE, JOY, PEACE

May 4, 2008 FBC Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson

Gal. 5.19-24

A ILLUSTRATION

B In Romans 8, Paul dwells on the work of the Holy Spirit in the life a believer.

1 He describes in great detail what the Holy Spirit does in, for, and through us.

a Rom. 8.2 Sets us free from the law.

b Rom. 8.4 Walk/live according to the Spirit (not the flesh)

c Rom. 8.5 Sets our minds on the things of the Spirit.

d Rom. 8.9 Christians are in the Spirit. (Lost people are not)

e Rom. 8.9-11 The Holy Spirit dwells in you.

f Rom. 8.13 As the Holy Spirit "indwells" you He starts to change you, putting to death the deeds of the flesh.

g Rom. 8.14 Those led by the Spirit are Sons/Daughters of God

h Rom. 8.15-17 The Holy Spirit is now at work giving them life, witnessing to our spirit that we are children of God. Adoption was legal.

2 The Spirit of God wants to transform us into the likeness of Christ.

a 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

b Rom. 8.29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, . . .

C When you are saved, you receive the Holy Spirit (all of Him), but when you get saved He’s just getting started with you.

1 Justification: You are JUSTIFIED the moment you are born again. (Right standing with God; sees you as righteous through the blood of Jesus)

a ADOPTION: Relationship, favor is restored.

aa In the fall of 1970, my birth mother (Phylis) offered me to my momma because she didn’t want/need/or desire to take care of me. "Debbie, if you want him, he’s your . . . but your going to have to pay."

bb The devil doesn’t want/need/ or desire to have a relationship with you. DEVOUR/DESTROY.

cc God/Grace/Mercy said "no" and my God what a price He paid for kids like us to call him "Abba," "Daddy"

b If I would have been raised by Phylis, I would have been raised like a gypsy, brokenness, addiction, ungodliness . . . my mom’s house I was raised in stability, constantly being told "I Love You!", and learned about the things of God.

aa Psalm 65.4 How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You To dwell in Your courts. We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, . . .

bb God adopts you and takes you home with home, and you learn to be satisfied with the good things in His house.

2 We begin to act/look like the one who adopted us.

a (There are other translations that state this thought more properly, but none say it plainly!)

b Phil. 1.6 " And I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns." TLB

c Where on a journey with the Holy Spirit and we’ll arrive when either He comes to get us or we go to meet Him.

3 When we listen to God calling us, He comes to us through the power of the Holy Spirit, and lives in us.

a (IL.) D.L. Moody, jar, water. Asked, "How do I remove the air from the jar?" A man said a vacuum. "No, it will implode." Fill it with water, something else.

b How do we replace the deeds of the flesh in our hearts? Fill it with something else, The Holy Spirit.

c If we allow the Holy Spirit to move in, He’ll renovate, redecorate, move some things around, clean out the closets . . .plant a garden and inevitably it will produce some fruit.

d READ Galatians 5.22-24

e Let’s look today at some fruit that comes from God’s garden. (PRAY)

I Let’s look at "fruit of the Spirit"

A If you walk in the Spirt, the fruit will manifest in your life. Period. (Vice versa is also true)

1 The deeds/works of the flesh are what we can do on our own/flesh. (V.19-21)

a The works of the flesh stand in total opposition/spiritual warfare to the fruit of the Spirit.

aa Counterfeits of the fruit: Sex for love, Religious practices for the manifest presence of God, selfishness for self-control)

bb There are 15 works: 3 Sex, 2 Religion, 10 relationship (MacArthur)

Immorality: Pornia adultery, fornication, homo, beastiality

Impurity: akathsaria unclean

Sensuality: Sexual indulgance w/o shame or concern (affected, infected)