Love, Joy & Peace

WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH

PASTOR: TERRY VAUGHAN

SERMON TITLE: THREE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT: LOVE, JOY & PEACE

“For God so loved the world , that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18

TEXT VERSE: GALATIANS 5:22-25 “BUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, GENTLENESS, GOODNESS, FAITH, MEEKNESS, TEMPERANCE: AGAINST SUCH THERE IS NO LAW. AND THEY THAT ARE CHRIST’S HAVE CRUCIFIED THE FLESH WITH THE AFFECTIONS AND LUSTS. IF WE LIVE IN THE SPIRIT, LET US ALSO WALK IN THE SPIRIT.”

IN THIS TEXT THERE IS ACTUALLY NINE FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD. WE COULD COVER ALL NINE BUT WE’RE JUST GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU THE FIRST THREE. LOVE, JOY AND PEACE. YOU’LL NOTICE WITH THESE THREE THINGS THAT THEY ARE SPIRITUAL BUILDING BLOCKS TO HELP YOU AND ME GROW. I KNOW ALL NINE WOULD, BUT WE WANT TO CONCENTRATE ON THESE THREE. IF WE JUST KEEP LOVE, JOY AND PEACE IN OUR LIVES; WHAT A GREAT BLESSING THAT WOULD BE. YOU SEE SO MANY CHRISTIANS IN TURMOIL AND IN CONFUSION AND GOD SAID HE’S NOT THE AUTHOR OF CONFUSION. THEY’VE GOT TROUBLE IN THEIR LIVES AND IN THEIR SPIRITUAL WALK WITH THE LORD. YOU CAN’T HAVE LOVE, JOY AND PEACE THAT WAY. THE SPIRIT IS THE FOUNDATION FOR THESE FRUITS. IF YOU GOT SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD YOU DIDN’T JUST GET SAVED. YOU GOT THE SPIRIT OF GOD. YOU GOT A NEW BIRTH INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD. YOU DIDN’T GET AN EVIL SPIRIT THAT’S COLD. YOU GOT THE HOLY SPIRIT; THE COMFORTER. IT COME RIGHT OUT OF HEAVEN FROM GOD. IF WE HAVE THAT SPIRIT, THAT’S HOW WE CAN FEEL AND HAVE THESE FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

IN 1 JOHN 4:13 “HEREBY KNOW WE THAT WE DWELL IN HIM, AND HE IN US, BECAUSE HE HATH GIVEN US OF HIS SPIRIT.”

WE GOT SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD AND HE GAVE US OF HIS SPIRIT. REMEMBER THAT WORD (GIVE). GOD GAVE US OF HIS SPIRIT. A FREE GIFT.

1 CORINTHIANS 3:16 “KNOW YE NOT THAT YE ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD, AND THAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD DWELLETH IN YOU?”

NUMBER ONE, GOD GAVE US HIS SPIRIT. WHERE DID HE GIVE IT TO US AT? ON THE INSIDE. IT DOESN’T DWELL IN THE FLESH. IT DWELLS WAY DEEP DOWN WHERE NO DOCTOR OR NO SCIENTIST CAN FIND ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE INNER MOST BEING OF OUR SELVES. WHEN GOD CREATED ADAM HE SAID HE CREATED MAN A LIVING SOUL. HE GAVE US OF HIS SPIRIT AND HIS SPIRIT DWELLS ON THE INSIDE.

ROMANS 8:14 “FOR AS MANY AS ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, THEY ARE THE SONS OF GOD.” SO GOD GAVE US OF HIS SPIRIT. HIS SPIRIT DWELLS ON THE INSIDE AND WE OUGHT TO BE LED BY THE SPIRIT. BLESSED ARE THEY THAT ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT. WE’RE SUPPOSED TO LET THE SPIRIT LEAD. WE’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO GO IN FRONT, OR EXPECT THE SPIRIT OF GOD TO FOLLOW US, OR GO IN FRONT OF THE LORD AND EXPECT THE LORD TO FOLLOW US...WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE LED. IT’S NOT AN EASY TASK BUT YOU KNOW HOW I’M BETTER LED BY THE SPIRIT? BY STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD AND PRAYING. WHEN I PICK UP MY BIBLE I PRAY, LORD SHOW ME WHERE YOU WANT ME TO READ, SHOW ME WHAT YOU WANT ME TO SEE AND UNDERSTAND. THEN I MEDITATE UPON IT. YOU CAN READ THE WORD OF GOD AND GO ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS AND MEDITATE UPON IT WHILE YOU’RE DOING YOUR OTHER THINGS. HAVE A SONG UPON YOUR LIPS AND A PRAYER UPON YOUR HEART. MEDITATE WITH GOD. DID YA’LL ENJOY THAT MESSAGE THIS MORNING? I WAS GOING DOWN THE ROAD IN MY TRUCK AND I SAID, GOD I NEED SOMETHING FOR SUNDAY MORNING. I’D BEEN STUDYING ALL WEEK AND FELT LIKE I DIDN’T HAVE NOTHING AND GOD SAID TO PREACH ON “SERVING ME.” SO I STARTED MEDITATING UPON IT. THEN I WENT HOME AND GOD BACKED IT UP IN THE WORD OF GOD. THAT’S BEING LED BY THE SPIRIT. IF WE WANT TO HAVE THESE THREE FRUITS TONIGHT WE HAVE TO BASE IT ON THE FOUNDATION OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD. IT CAN NOT COME FROM US. IT HAS TO BE GENERATED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD.

NOTICE THIS IN ROMANS 8:9 “IF ANY MAN HAVE NOT THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST HE IS NONE OF HIS.” IF YOU DON’T HAVE ANY SPIRIT ABOUT YOU, YOU DON’T BELONG TO GOD. GOD DON’T SAVE OUR FLESH, OR FOR OUR LOOKS OR FOR WHERE WE CAME FROM: HE SAVES US BECAUSE WE’RE SINNERS. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS. WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US. ISN’T THAT A BLESSING?