From Frustration to Fullness
By: Pastor Donny Granberry
Galatians 5:1-7
1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.
INTRODUCTION
• Have you ever made an ignorant mistake? More than once?
• Have you ever said something you knew you shouldn’t have said? And regretted it the moment it came from your mouth?
• Have you ever blown an incredible opportunity to count for God?
• Have you ever been frustrated with you?
Good…because only those who are frustrated with their inability…are ready for a partnership with the one that has all the ability we need to live a fulfilled life.
Paul writes in our scriptures this evening about a partnership that is available to those who have had it with themselves.
To move from frustration to fullness, we must understand three things.
1. The Stride of the Spirit!
Galatians 5:25 NIV – “Since we live by the spirit. Let us keep in step with the spirit.”
“Keeping in step with the spirit” … is a phrase of purpose and
progress.
It tell us that:
• God has incredible goals for our lives.
• The Holy Spirit is committed to helping us realize and reach those goals!
The goals the Holy Spirit wants to lead us to are two-fold:
a. The Holy Spirit wants to lead us to – maturity.
• It is possible to grow old and never grow up.
Have you ever known someone who has never grown up?
The flip side is that there are people who are young in years, but mature in their attitudes and actions.
There is nothing wrong with spiritual infancy … it is a miraculous time … but prolonged infancy is tragic.
God wants us to grow up, and spiritual infancy will lead to spiritual frustration.
1 Peter 2:2-3 NIV
2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
2 Peter 3:18
Grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
*ILLUSTRATION*
Kids want to grow up.
Not only do they want to get bigger, but they want to get stronger.
Parents will mark their growth on door frames and measure their growth.
You can ask a boy, show me your muscles?
Kids are on to something good, growth is remarkable, and it is measurable.
Can I ask you something?
• Is there measurable growth in your spiritual life?
• Healthy things grow, how is your spiritual growth?
I grew tall, and let’s say extra healthy.
My mom will say, his growth was stunted.
b. The Holy Spirit wants to lead us to – ministry.
The “fruit of the spirit” has to do with maturity, but the “gifts of the spirit” has to do with ministry.
• Do you believe that God wants to use you? (follow me and I will make you to become fishers of men)
• Do you want to be - used by God? (Truthfully, some would rather not, they have “HOT TUB RELIGION” – all soothing/no serving.)
• Are you moving forward in ministry?
Our growth in ministry is as measurable as our growth in maturity.
Circle of measurability:
• Community – unchurched occasional attenders!
• Crowd – regular attenders!
• Congregation – members!
• Committed – maturing members!
• Core – ministering members!
Which circle are you in?
Pastor Bill Hybels said:
There are things to be feared more than death – A wasted life. A life unattached to God’s great endeavors. A self-willed, self-absorbed existence, narrow and routine and ultimately unsatisfying.
The most joy filled people I’ve ever met… are people committed to being used by God…people growing and going into ministry.
The stride of the spirit – He leads us to maturity and ministry.
We also need to understand –
2. The Struggle of the Saints.
If you really want to be in stride with the Holy Spirit, you will be in for a struggle.
Galatians 5:17 NIV
“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.”
a. We struggle with our old nature.
Romans 7:21-25 Message
It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. 22I truly delight in God’s commands, 23but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.24I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?25The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.
Paul is not writing to willful sinners, but to committed Christians.
*ILLUSTRATION*
Al little 3 year old girl was sitting between her mother and grandmother, scribbling on a piece of paper listening to her daddy preach on this passage. When he said, “Things I want to do I don’t…and the things I want to do I don’t, ”She looked up and said loudly, “I know what you mean daddy.”
You see, we are a new person in an old package…we have been made new, but the imprint of our old nature is still with us.
b. We not only struggle with our old nature…we struggle with our old landlord.
The old landlord makes your life miserable, overcharges, lends you at incredible interest to make you go deeper in debt, he messes up your place then bills you for it.
There comes a knock at your door, a new landlord has purchased the place…no more rent…the new landlord will be living in the managers apartment…call if there are any problems.
As soon as you start rejoicing, the old landlord shows up demanding the rent.
You don’t punch him out…you don’t pay him either…you send him to the new landlord.
You don’t owe the old landlord anything anymore, send him packing.
We’ve noted, 1. The stride of the Spirit, 2. The Struggle of the Saints, there is one more key…
3. The Secret of the In-Stride Saint.
Galatians 5:16
So I say, live by the spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
The way to win the battle is to live by the spirit.
What does this mean? I’m glad you asked.
It means two things:
a. God will do His part.
As long as we walk in Christ footsteps, He will walk with us.
Christ said, “apart from me, you can do nothing.
b. Living by the spirit not only means that God does His part…it also means that I must do my part.
Colossians 3:1-4 NIV
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Who puts on and puts off…who puts to death and clothes themselves? We do.
• God works on the inward man, we work on the outward man.
How do we move from frustration to fullness?
1. The Stride of the spirit. The Holy Spirit leads us to maturity, and to ministry.
2. The struggle of the saints. We struggle with our old nature and our old landlord.
3. The secret of in-stride saints. God will do His part, I must do my part.
