Humor: Fertilizer Helps!
The Sunday school teacher was teaching a class of children about creation. “Now, children,” she said, “Who can tell us what makes the flower spring from the seed?” “God does it,” answered one little girl, “but fertilizer helps.”
INTRODUCTION:
We have been looking at “What the World Needs is Love, God’s Love!
In this morning’s message we want to look at the Fruit of Love.
Paul taught that the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5), so… What should God’s Love Look Like?
What is the by-product or the Fruit of Love?
Text: Gal. 5:22-23
Gal 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
THE CONTEXT: Gal 5:16-26
(1) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (18) But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
(19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, (20) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, (21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
(22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (24) And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. (25) If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (26) Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Illustration: What’s Outside should Reflect the Inside
Have you ever bought a cake mix, followed the instructions and what you end up with is nothing like what you see on the box?
Have you ever bought seed, followed the instructions, and not end up with the items you see on the package?
For example, I heard of one man who bought what he thought were snap peas, but once they were planted and he thought were ready to eat, he found out they were Lima Beans.
When we are saved, God plants His Agape love in our souls through the Holy Spirit. What should come out of our lives should be the fruit of Love.
Humor: Many Christians spend six days a week sowing wild oats and then come to church and pray for crop failure.
I. THE CLARITY ABOUT OF LOVE Galatians 5:22A
But the fruit of the Spirit
Love is not an emotion, not a feeling, it is an act of one's will.
To have LOVE and to love is made possible through the Holy Spirit.
1. The only approved fruit that should come from our lives is that of the Holy Spirit ... and that fruit is a singular thing: LOVE!
In the Greek, the word "fruit" is singular, not plural!
The list that follows is a list of the characteristics of "love."
The "fruit" of the Holy Spirit is the fruit of love!
2. You may have heard “That too much of a good thing is not good for you. Not so with LOVE!
The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations lists this phrase as proverbial and dates it from the late 15th century. The earliest example in print is from Shakespeare.
3. Unlike most things which are harmful if too much of it comes, there is no excess with love:
Illus: The desire of power in excess caused the angels to fall; the desire of knowledge in excess caused Adam and Eve to fall, but in love there is no excess, neither can angel or man come in danger by it! -- (Francis Bacon)
3. Fruit verses Weeds: Galatians 5:19-21
Here “The Fruit of the Holy Spirit” is contrasted by “The fruit, by-product of the Flesh, “WEEDS” or the natural “spirit of man.”
How different the two are, that which flows from our nature is selfish in nature, but the fruit of the Holy Spirit which is love is just the opposite!
4. One cannot possess the Holy Spirit and not demonstrate the fruit of the Holy Spirit!
a. This is Paul's point here!
b. Jesus made a similar contrast in Matthew 7 in speaking about False Prophets
Mat 7:17-18, 20 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. (18) A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (20) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
c. Whatever is really inside us will come out!
d. Jesus said it this way, "out of the heart the mouth speaketh."
Luk 6:43-45 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (44) For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. (45) A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
5. FRUIT is the singular quality of being a Christian ... LOVE!
II. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF LOVE GAL. 5:22b - 23a
(22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
1. Someone has listed the “Fruit of the LOVE” in this way…
1. Joy is love's strength
2. Peace is love's security
3. Longsuffering is love's stability
4. Gentleness, kindness is love's conduct
5. Goodness is love's character
6. Faith, or faithfulness is love's commitment
7. Meekness is love's humility
8. Temperance, self-control is love's victory!
2. This list therefore is not a list of different fruits of the Holy Spirit, it is a list of how the fruit of the Holy Spirit works!
3. When the Holy Spirit resides in our life ... there will be a growing evidence of this fruit in our lives.
a. Like all things that bear fruit ... there might be stages toward that fruit maturing:
Like a flowering stage, and then a green stage; but finally, the sweet fruit matures to bless all!
b. There are different rates of growth as well.
It Takes Time
Some of the greatest missionaries of history devotedly spread the seed of God's Word and yet had to wait long periods before seeing the fruit of their efforts. William Carey, for example, labored 7 years before the first Hindu convert was brought to Christ in Burma, and Adoniram Judson toiled 7 years before his faithful preaching was rewarded by seeing his first converts.
c. Our lives as Christians should demonstrate that we are bearing fruit … of the Holy Spirit!
4. The evidence is in the list of characteristics that Paul just shared here!
Illus: Warren Wiersbe said, "We do not use the Holy Spirit, he uses us!"
Man’s Efforts at Producing Fruit
A number of years ago, the Associated Press released a study done by an agricultural school in Iowa. It reported that production of 100 bushels of corn from one acre of land, in addition to the many hours of the farmer's labor, required 4,000,000 lbs. of water, 6,800 lbs. of oxygen, 5,200 lbs. of carbon, 160 lbs. of nitrogen, 125 lbs. of potassium, 75 lbs. of yellow sulphur, and other elements too numerous to list. In addition to these things, which no man can produce, rain and sunshine at the right time are critical. It was estimated that only 5% of the produce of a farm can be attributed to the efforts of man. If we were honest, we'd have to admit that the same is true in producing spiritual fruit.
III. THE COMMANDS OF LOVE GAL. 5:23C
(22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
No law is required where there is love ...
Law is there to regulate the flesh and the natural man's bent toward evil.
Where the fruit of the Holy Spirit exists, no law is necessary!
IV. THE CREDENTIALS OF LOVE Gal. 5:24-26
Love is not self-serving, it is self-sacrificing!
(24) And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. (25) If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (26) Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
One who is a Christian, is one who seeks to daily crucify the Flesh!
One who is a Christian, is one who seeks to daily live in the Spirit!
One who is a Christian, is one who seeks to daily walks in the Spirit!
Love is not self-serving, it is self-sacrificing!
CONCLUSION:
• Our lives will be evaluated by the fruit we display!
• The bottom line to Christianity is that we are to bear fruit! ARE YOU?
The World, Christians, and even Christ will judge us on more than just the content of what we believe and what we say ... it will be on our conduct!
People can be fooled by what we might say, but they can't be fooled by what we do!
“Actions speak louder than words!
We are called to bear fruit, “The Fruit of the Holy Spirit!”
To Be Like Jesus
Earthly pleasures vainly call me,
I would be like Jesus;
Nothing worldly shall enthrall me,
I would be like Jesus.
Refrain:
Be like Jesus, this my song,
In the home and in the throng;
Be like Jesus, all day long!
I would be like Jesus.
James Rowe: He was born in England in 1865. He began writing songs and hymns about 1896 and was a prolific writer of gospel verse with more than 9,000 published hymns, poems, recitations, and other works.
Disclaimer: This sermon is a collection of several sources and I claim no originality to all, only as I have tried to tailor it to develop the sermon. I have sought to acknowledge credit to whom credit is due. I hope it will bless you.
