Dance Lessons: Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-26 (Part 2)
Jefferson M. Williams
Chenoa Baptist Church
5-31-2020
This Means War!
Growing up, we had two crabapple trees in our front yard. Crab apples are about the size of a cherry and make excellent ammunition.
We used to pick a bunch of crabapples, hold them in our rolled up t-shirts and launch them at each other in a game aptly named “crabapple war!”
It was the 70s version of paint ball and it you got nailed with a crabapple it left a welt for a week. Everything was fun and games until someone would inevitably by hit in the ear with one and run in crying to tell mom.
If you think that’s bad, Maxine and her sisters played war with oranges! It might not of hurt as bad to be hit with an orange but sometimes they exploded on impact, leaving the victim covered in sticky orange juice.
Fruit is not really meant to be used as ammunition. You don’t see people going to war with a bag full of fruit on their hips.
The fruit that we are studying these three weeks are actually a type of ammo. The fruit of the Spirit allows those around us to see and savor our Savior! As we allow the Holy Spirit to grow these fruit in our character, we are able to exhibit Christ-like attitudes to our family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and even those who don’t like us or agree with us.
Spiritual Fruit Basket
Last week, we began our study of the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-26.
Let me remind you of a few important aspects of these fruit:
What is the fruit of the Spirit? Alistair Begg defines the fruit of the Spirit as “a spontaneous product of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.”
[Slide] 1. These fruit aren’t something we try to grow ourselves.
This fruit is the product of the Spirit’s work inside of us and not a product of behavior modification on our part. We don’t try to be more loving. We trust Christ to work the fruit of love in us:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
2 Corinthians 5:17 says that once we are in Christ, we are “new creations.” Part of this process of being a new creation is that God grows in us new character traits that proclaim Jesus to a lost and dying world around us.
[Slide] 2. The fruit of the Spirit and gifts of the Spirit are different things. Each Christian is given gifts of the Spirit but not all Christians have every gift.
The fruit are a package deal. It’s not like a buffet where you pick a little love and joy but leave gentleness and self control to others. God wants to grow well-rounded Christians.
[Slide} 3. The word “fruit” is singular as opposed to the “works” of the flesh. Think of these nine fruits as this bunch of grapes. It’s one bunch but has multiple grapes. Or a bouquet of flowers - one bouquet but multiple flowers. Or a precious gem that has nine facets.
[Slide] 4. This fruit grows gradually. The process happens with a Christian. The growth is subtle, quiet, and sometimes seasonal. We go through times when it doesn’t seem like anything is happening spiritually and then we go through spiritual growth spurts.
[Slide] 5. These fruit are inevitable. Tim Keller has said, “We are saved by faith and not by growing fruit. But our faith is not fruitless faith.” These fruit are simply the product of a normal Christian life.
Just like a healthy crabapple tree produces good crabapples, Christians submitted to the Holy Spirit’s work inside of us will produce these nine character traits more and more as they grow spiritually.
[Slide] 6. These nine fruits are actually what one commentator calls “a character sketch of Jesus Christ.” The Holy Spirit’s job is to glorify Jesus and mold us and make us into the likeness of our Savior.
As we go through these fruit, you may discover that you don’t really exhibit any of these and your life is characterized more by the list of the deeds of the flesh.
[Slide] “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Cor 13:5)
These messages could be God’s way of showing you that you need to stop trying to be good and simply trust Christ for your salvation.
Theologians have attempted to divide these nine into categories. We are going to follow John Stott:
Love, joy, peace - Attitudes toward God
Patience, kindness, goodness - attitudes toward others
Faithfulness, gentleness, self control - attitudes toward self
Last week, we studied the first three - love, joy, and peace. If you didn’t get to watch the sermon, you can watch that one or any of the sermons from this series on our FaceBook page.
In these verses, Paul is going to teach the Galatians three more dance moves to help them dance to the rhythm of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, grace and, most importantly, freedom.
[Slide] Remember, those that dance are thought crazy by those who cannot hear the music.
Turn with me to Galatians 5.
Prayer
[Slide] Please be Patient!
The word that Paul uses next is “makrothymia,” which is translated as “patience” or your translation may use “forbearance.” Or it may have “long suffering,” a word literally invented in 1535. This term is combination of long and passion, anger, or heat.
It literally means that your anger is a a long way off. This is not the word for patience that has to do with dealing with frustrating situations or circumstances. There is another Greek word for that.
This may be even harder to handle. This word means being slow to anger with people who irritate you!
I heard a story this week about a guy who was eating quietly at a local diner when three bikers walked in. The bikers walked over to him and one took his sandwich, the other his coffee, and the other knocked his hat off his head. The man said nothing, got up, silently paid the bill and left.
The bikers were laughing and said to the waitress, “He wasn’t much of a man, was he?” She responded, “He’s not much of a trucker either. He just ran over those three motorcycles that were sitting out front!
Another aspect of this patience is that one could take revenge on others but chooses not to in love.
This is hard. Maxine actually has told me that she would punch me in the throat if I prayed for patience in her life. Why? Because patience isn’t learn on a beach but in the trenches of real world relationships.
This is something that is sorely needed in our country right now. It seems like everyone’s nerves are frayed and there are a growing number of videos online that show people blowing their tops at others.
We need, as rock and roll theologian Axl Rose write, “Just a little patience.”
God exhibits this kind of patience. When giving Moses the Ten Commandments, God describes Himself this way:
“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” (Exodus 34:6-7)
If you remember from our study of Jonah, at the end of the book Jonah tells God why he is pitching a temper tantrum about the Ninevites:
“Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:2-3)
In the New Testament, the Apostle Peter responses to people that were saying that Jesus taking too long to return:
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9)
Paul writes in Romans that we shouldn’t take this patience for granted:
“ So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” (Rom 2:3-4)
God is patience with us. I’m so glad that is patient with me!
I’ve sure you have known people that were, by nature, patient people.
When I was young, I took guitar lessons. Each week I would come in and he would ask, “Are you ready to learn your scales?” And I would respond, “No! I want to learn “Rock you Like a Hurricane” by the Scorpions.”
So the next week, he would have the song all tabbed out and listened to me butcher it time and time again. All he would do is smile and say, “So far so good?”
I wish I had more of that natural disposition. Even though I’m a pastor, it doesn’t mean that I always get this right.
Several years ago, I took Maxine to the Illinois State Fair to see her favorite country group, “Lady Antebellum.” We were in the grandstands, sitting on metal bleachers. Three women in front of us, who obviously had been doing a lot of day drinking, kept standing up in front of us. When they stood up, we couldn’t see so we stood up. There was a group of older people behind us and they asked us to sit down because now they couldn’t see.
I lightly tapped on one of the woman’s shoulders and ask her of they could please sit down because now half of our section couldn’t see. She smiled and said no problem and they say down. Problem solved, right? Nope!
One of these ladies was a “Karen.” She turned around and started yelling at me that it was a concert and she would stand up it she wanted to. I tried to explain to her that when she stood up others couldn’t see. She didn’t care. She actually called a security guard over and talked to him about it. I think that he told her it was best to sit down. She didn’t like that answer and turned around and started berating me again.
I wish I could tell you that I got my phone out and pulled up Galatians 5 and shared the Gospel with her. But that’s not what happened. I’ll spare you the sinful details but let’s just say that my thumos wasn’t very makro!
In fact, we left during the encore because Maxine was afraid I might actually get into a fight!
Patience is an internal heart attitude than is displayed outwardly toward people that do not deserve it.
Paul knew that this kind of fruit isn’t natural to human beings and he told the Colossians:
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Col 3:12-14)
How is this patience displayed in real life? In forgiveness.
Jesus told the story of a servant who owed his master 10,000 bags of gold, something he could never pay pack in his lifetime. The master ordered that he, his wife and children, and all he had be sold to pay off his debt.
The servant “fell on his knees and begged, ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.” (Matthew 18:26-27)
As the forgiven servant was leaving, he found a fellow servant that owed him 100 silver coins. He began to choke him and demanded that he pay back all he owed.
Interestingly, this servant says the same thing that he said to the master.
“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ (Matthew 18:29)
But he refused and had the man thrown into prison. When his fellow servants saw this, they reported it to the master.
“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (Matt 18:32-35)
How do we develop this patience?
By looking to Jesus. Jesus showed extraordinary patience with the twelve teenagers who He picked to be his disciples. How many times did they not get what He was teaching? How many times did they put their feet in their mouths? How many times did they see things in narrow-minded ways?
How often did the crowds simply want him to perform a magic trick? One of my favorite little phrases in the Bible in Mark 8:12 as He was answering the Pharisees. It said that He “sighed deeply.” This is such a human thing to do.
We need to look at people with Jesus’ eyes. Contemporary Christian Music Artist Brandon Heath wrote a song several years ago called, “Give me Your Eyes.” In it he prays:
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see,
Everything that I keep missing,
Give your love for humanity.
Give me your arms for the broken-hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach.
Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten.
Give me Your eyes so I can see.
If we could see everyone around us the way God sees us, we could love and be patient the way He does.
[Slide] George Floyd, a 46 unarmed black man, died this past week while being held down and a police officer’s knee on his neck. Over ten times, he said, “I can’t breathe” and then became unresponsive.
Friends describe George as a gentle giant who didn’t have any enemies.
He was scheduled to meet with a friend about getting involved in MAD DADS - Men against Destruction Defending Against Drugs and Social Disorder.
He was known as a “person of peace” and even helped his Christian rapper friends drag a pool all the way to the basketball courts so they could baptize people.
For the past three nights, there have been riots and protests in Minneapolis that would have grieved George’s heart.
Nick Hall, the founder of the student-led Christian organization PULSE in Minneapolis, wrote this on his Face Book page this week:
“Please pray for our Mayor, Governor, Police, First Responders, and Elected Officials. Pray for the safety of those protesting, and for those seeking to protect and serve. “God, please no more death!”
Pray that the Church of the Twin Cities will rise up and lead in this time, and that this will bring about change from within. I long to see our staff, stages, and budgets built in ways that demonstrate our belief that all people have value. No more token posts when it’s convenient - “Lord help us to change and mirror the Kingdom.” People are hurting, and only Jesus can save us!!”
What if you realize that you are very short-fused with people and don’t display the family trait of patience?
Pray and ask God to grow this fruit in you. But be ready, He will give you opportunities to be patience with others. When it gets difficult, and it will, remember Psalm 145:8:
“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.” (Psalm 145:8)
In fact, I would encourage you to write that verse on an index card and keep it with you to memorize this week.
[Slide] You is Kind
This next two words actually go together - kindness and goodness. Kindness is the word “chrestotes” which is an inner attitude of tender concern. It’s the ability to serve others practically in ways that comes from a deep inner security.
It’s what is missing on social media right now!
But not everywhere on social media. We witnessed kindness in action.
[Slide] This is a picture from a video that went viral this week. 5 year old Tomas pulling down the basketball goal so his sister Abby could make a shot. When she did, he exploded into applause for her.
The prophet Micah wrote that this fruit is a part of our marching orders in this lost and dying world:
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)
Hosea described God’s love for His wayward people:
“I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.” (Hosea 11:4)
Paul makes it clear that this kindness is an attribute of God expressed most vividly at the cross:
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Eph 2:4-7)
He is even more forceful when writing to the Colossian church:
“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” (Rom 2:4)
Did you get that? God’s kindness leads you toward repentance!
Some people are naturally kind. That’s not the fruit of the Spirit. This fruit is a supernatural goodness of heart.
In the film “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” Tom Hanks portrays Fred Rogers, aka Mr. Rogers. Something that shines out of this movie is the extraordinary kindness that Mr. Rogers seemed to exude all the time. What many people don’t know is that he was an ordained minister and his show sought to teach Biblical principles such as kindness to children.
This is marked by a constant readiness to help.
I have a friend that expresses this fruit in humbling ways. One day, I was at his house and saw his water cooler. I mentioned, off-handedly, that Maxine has always wanted one of those. Two days later, I opened the door and there was a brand new water cooler! It was incredibly kind and thoughtful but that’s just the fruit of kindness leaking out on Maxine and I.
Paul told Timothy that the life of a leader should be marked by kindness:
“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.” (2 Tim 2:24)
Two examples of kindness are Boaz showed great kindness to Ruth and Barnabas was actually a nickname meaning “son of encouragement.”
Apart from the grace of God, we are all preoccupied with me, myself, and I. But as the Spirit grows the fruit of kindness in us, we start seeing people the way Jesus does.
The Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus to trap Him. He leans down and begins writing on the ground and says, “If you are without sin, you can go ahead and throw the first stone.”
One by one they drop their stones and walk away leaving him alone with this woman whose only covering was shame.
He asks her “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
She replied, “No one, sir.”
I can just imagine the smile on Jesus’ face and His eyes exploding with kindness as He said,
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:11)
We need to be slow to be unkind toward others because we don’t always have the whole story.
When I was seminary, we saw clients in two-somes. My partner was named Dean and he had a habit of just not showing up sometimes when we had clients scheduled.
One time he didn’t show up and I had enough. I called and left a message for him and basically let him have it.
I didn’t hear back from him that day but the next day I miss a call from him and he left a message. This was his message:
“Hey Jeff, I’m sorry about not being at the therapy center yesterday. I had to rush my wife to the hospital and, long story short, we lost the baby. I saw you called but I haven’t listened to it yet. I’ll get to it and we can catch up soon.”
I called him and told him please please please delete the message from me. It was unkind, unloving, and I didn’t assume the best about my friend.
We need to remember how kind God has been to us and then extend that kindness to others:
“The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. (Jer 31:3)
Let’s take the advice given by country music theologian Tim McGraw and “always stay humble and kind.”
[Kindness]
[Slide] Goodness Gracious
Goodness is the outward expression of kindness. Kindness is the inner root of a redeemed heart and goodness is the outer fruit of a redeemed heart. The Greek word means “moral excellence.”
It can be used interchangeably with the word “righteous.” This is goodness for the benefit of others, not goodness simply for the sake of being virtuous.
The fact that God is good is all over the Bible:
The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. (Psalm 145:9)
We need to remember that God is good and we are not:
"God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good,
not even one.” (Isaiah 53:2-3)
We can’t be good enough to earn God’s love. We can’t hop high enough for His holiness.
Only by the grace of God working in our lives can we exhibit the fruit of goodness.
A beautiful example of this kind of goodness is seen in the story of Joseph.
Joseph was pledged to be married to Mary when Mary becomes pregnant and says that the baby is from God Himself.
At that point, Joseph could have publicly shamed her and he could have even had her stoned to death.
Joseph was her promised husband. He was a good man and did not want to make it hard for Mary in front of people. He thought it would be good to break the promised marriage without people knowing it.” (Matt 1:19)
Remember, that we aren’t saved by good works but we are saved for good works (Eph 6:10) and are called to do good “to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Gal 6:10)
Kindness without goodness can be wimpy and accommodating to sin. Goodness without kindness can be hard and legalistic toward people. It’s a balancing act.
Paul’s prayer for the Christians at Thessalonica is my prayer for you this morning:
“With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.” (2 Thes 1:11)
Pete Davidson is a comedian on SNL and during a sketch made fun of Dan Crenshaw, a political figure in Texas. Dan is an ex-Navy SEAL and a real life hero who lost an eye in Afghanistan.
Social media destroyed Pete until he finally posted on Instagram that he didn’t even feel like living any more.
Then he got a phone call from…Lt. Commander Dan Crenshaw. Dan is a Christian and are told Pete that God had a plan and purpose for his life.
Then Dan accepted the invitation to come on SNL and Pete apologized to him on live tv.
Dan Crenshaw talked another hero, Pete’s father, who was a firefighter who died on 9-11 when Pete was seven.
When the audience started clapping, Pete leaned over and whispered in Dan’s ear, “You’re a good man.” Pete Davidson just experienced God’s goodness shining through Dan.
[Slide]
[Good Good Father]
Application
Corrie Ten Boom was speaking for the first time in Germany, two years after the war had ended. After the talk, a man approached her and asked if they could talk. She recognized him immediately as one of the guards at the concentration camp she was in.
He stuck his hand out and said, “A fine message, fräulein! How good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea!”
And I, who had spoken so glibly of forgiveness, fumbled in my pocketbook rather than take that hand. He would not remember me, of course–how could he remember one prisoner among those thousands of women?
But I remembered him and the leather crop swinging from his belt. It was the first time since my release that I had been face to face with one of my captors and my blood seemed to freeze.
“You mentioned Ravensbrück in your talk,” he was saying. “I was a guard in there.” No, he did not remember me.
“But since that time,” he went on, “I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things
I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fräulein”–again the hand came out–“will you forgive me?”
And I stood there–I whose sins had every day to be forgiven–and could not. Betsie had died in that place–could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking?
It could not have been many seconds that he stood there, hand held out, but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do.
For I had to do it–I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. “If you do not forgive men their trespasses,” Jesus says, “neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
I knew it not only as a commandment of God, but as a daily experience. Since the end of the war I had had a home in Holland for victims of Nazi brutality.
Those who were able to forgive their former enemies were able also to return to the outside world and rebuild their lives, no matter what the physical scars. Those who nursed their bitterness remained invalids. It was as simple and as horrible as that.
And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is not an emotion–I knew that too.
Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.
“Jesus, help me!” I prayed silently. “I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling.”
And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.
“I forgive you, brother!” I cried. “With all my heart!”
For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God’s love so intensely as I did then…this was the work of the Holy Spirit!”
This was the fruit of patience, kindness, and goodness leaking out all over this former prison guard.
How about you? How do you need to forgive? How’s your kindness quotient?
