Last week we examined:
Love, Joy, Peace
Just a quick recap:
When looking at the fruit of the Spirit:
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control
We began with love and came to the conclusion that each of the fruits listed after love; encompass love.
In fact, it is impossible to have any of the others WITHOUT love!
Next, we spent a few minutes considering that joy is not gained by what happens to us, but rather what happens IN us. Greek transliteration: calm delight
When we have the joy of salvation in our hearts, it is the peace that surpasses all understanding.
I pray that everyone here has at least once in their life experienced that type of peace.
I threw out the challenge to tell someone in 25 words or less, that you love them, without saying the words “I love you”.
I hope you answered that challenge, and if you did, I’d love to hear about that from you during our potluck fellowship lunch.
Here’s what I learned: it’s harder than it sounds to say it in 25 words or less. Maybe it’s just the preacher in me.
As I mentioned last week:
Here is the construct from how I am applying fruit of the Spirit.
Holy Spirit instructs, guides, leads, and gives us power.
Today we will look at the 2nd set of 3 fruits of the Spirit:
Patience, kindness, goodness
In my journaling of the fruit of the Spirit, it has been enlightening for sure!
I’ll start with this:
Did you show kindness or goodness to someone this past week?
This 3 part message is about how He created us in His image, and how living out the fruit of the Spirit, is showing the world who He is.
As I began looking at patience, kindness, goodness I spent an enormous amount of time at:
Camp Patience- set up tent, had my lantern and canteen.
When I was a kid, in elementary school, my parents went through a separation in their marriage. As a result, my grandfather was getting me ready for school each day. I don’t remember how long this lasted but I remember two things:
He had a cool new car. 1966 Ford LTD 2 door. It was sweet!
I was introduced to Carnation Instant Breakfast.
By the mid ‘60’s America was going through a lot of challenges and changes.
One was the fabric of the family was changing.
Two income families began to emerge.
As a result, there were numerous innovations that addressed these changes.
One was Carnation Instant Breakfast.
Anyone here today, remember or ever hear of CIB?
Essentially, it was a package of protein powder that you added milk and voila “instant breakfast”.
I just thought that was the best thing ever!
Soon afterwards, America began this incredibly dangerous spiral into “instant gratification”. That’s just one man’s opinion of course.
We live in a world that promotes instant food of every kind, 30 second commercials that have products which will solve every problem in life, and 30 minute TV shows that also solve all of life’s problems, in between the 30 second commercials.
As a result, patience as a virtue is long lost.
We’ll get to some details of patience, so just be patient!
But first, I’ve been thinking about some of the quips about patience.
Patience is a virtue.
Enduring patience.
Trying my patience.
Patience is growing thin.
I haven’t looked into the origins of any of these except “patience is a virtue”. And no, I ain’t gonna tell you!
But the one I found interesting is:
“My patience is growing thin”
Patience is a fruit of the Spirit. How does fruit come about? It is grown.
That is like saying “My garden of patience is growing thin”.
So what do I need to do? Plant more patience!!!
I’ve also decided that patience is a four letter word! Not that kind, y’all!
I googled “what is a four letter word for patience” The result= “calm”
Isn’t it interesting that the Greek transliteration for joy is “calm delight”?
The more I dig into the fruit of the Spirit, the more I realize how they are entwined.
Back to that garden:
At least 3 things can help us cultivate the fruit of patience.
1)Thank God.
1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
2) Remember God’s promises: Here’s one:
Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
3) Seek His purpose
As a rule, I believe we all need to cultivate patience.
Here are some definitions of patience:
the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble or suffering without getting angry or upset.
My carrying a pistol story…to say the least, I was short-tempered
The Greek transliteration for long-suffering (another word for patience) is Makrothumia (ma-krOth-a-me-a) Long temper.
quality of forbearance and self-control, showing itself particularly in a willingness to wait upon The Lord and His will.
What tests your patience?
A nuisance of some sort.
Oftentimes when I am working on things, Lisa immediately knows when it is her cue to exit. Unfortunately, I passed down that dubious trait to at least one of our children.
Patience with people
Routine- same old, same old.
Boredom: ever plagued with boredom? How do you respond?
My career choices
Involves suffering-
Physical or psychological suffering- waiting on God to take it away.
How are you about waiting on God to take it away?
Here’s what some people do while they wait on God. They serve Him!
I’d like to remind you of a few examples of patience in the bible.
Sarah and Abraham
Amazing story of patience.
Here’s what we learn from their patience.
Patience produces fruit when we wait on the promise of The Lord.
Job
Patience of Job-Another one of those quips about patience.
So many challenges, but he never lost faith in God.
He received double after all his trials.
What should we do when faced with trial after trial? Worship God
Moses
Even after the Israelites rejected Moses, he persevered and waited on for God’s timing.
Every no, leads us that much closer to the biggest yes in our lives.
Esther
Patience is pursuing God’s plan in our lives.
What about you? Has God planted a desire in your heart? Or a calling? A mission? But circumstances seem insurmountable?
So many other stories of patience. God must be trying to tell us something!
Patience is not natural for us.
The fruit of the Spirit is not in our nature, but in His nature being revealed to us.
2nd Hand Lions- as a family this is one of our all-time favorites. If you haven’t seen it, I highly encourage you to do so. It is very much a family-friendly movie.
These two brothers have led an action packed life, and out of their boredom, they decide to become farmers.
They plant about 20 rows of food.
When it begins to sprout up and grow, they realize all the rows of crop look the same.
They begin reading the packages of seeds and each package has a different seed name but the row doesn’t look like the picture in the package.
Finally, the picture on the package looks like the row they planted. “Corn”
Every row is corn. “Corn, Corn, Corn, nothing but Corn”.
Galatians 6:7–9 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
This is such a powerful picture of living Gods’ will and reaping the benefit of everlasting life.
Instant fruit in a box:
Sow and Grow Patience-just add water!
Truth is we sow patience, when we pray, and allow God more control in our lives.
Listen to what Jesus teaches us about bearing fruit:
Matthew 7:16–20 “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”
-ask others what their bible says-
then say:
Do people know you by your fruit of patience?
I prepared 48 verses to share with you today, but because we are having potluck fellowship, I’ve narrowed it down to 42.
Proverbs 16:32 “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”
Proverbs 14:29 “He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, But he who is impulsive exalts folly.”
Proverbs 25:15 “By long forbearance a ruler is persuaded, And a gentle tongue breaks a bone.”
Proverbs full of wisdom about patience.
In the interest of time, let’s move on to:
Kindness
At first glance, kindness seems to be sort of a nondescript fruit of the Spirit. Just hanging out with the other fruit, ‘cause it’s got not other place to be.
But upon closer examination, we see scripturally and spiritually what an important role it has.
Have you thought about someone, and your first thought is “he/she has such a sweet spirit”?
That is the fruit of kindness shining through in them.
Story of Shaye @ Serv-all:
He went inside
Someone approached me outside
I explained to Shaye
His response
They shall know us by the fruit we bear!
Did someone show you spontaneous kindness this week?
Matthew 11:30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”” The English word “easy” in this verse, has the Greek transliteration of chrestos (crAy-stOs) “easy to bear”. Jesus’ yoke is easy to bear, because He is so full of kindness.
Here’s another Greek meaning of chrestotes (crAy-stO-tAs) “one who patiently forbears evil”.
I’d like to read 1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
Love is kind. Love is full of moral excellence. Love is full of grace which pervades the whole nature of a person.
I read this quote by William Barclay recently:
“More people have been brought into the church by the kindness of real Christian love, than by all the theological arguments in the world.”
I’ll tell you something else about kindness.
Kindness is inconvenient!
Men, I’d like you to consider that person on the side of the road with car broken down or flat tire, as I read this passage:
Luke 10:30–33 “Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.”
Luke 10:34–37 “So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.””
In my world full of “hurry”, this is one of the most challenging things for me.
Kindness is inconvenient!
Are you cultivating kindness in your Spirit?
What do your children see?
Before I get myself in trouble, I’ll move on to:
Goodness
The second of the nondescript fruits in fruit of the Spirit.
Actually, not going to spend a lot of time on Goodness today, but will spend a bit of time next week in part three of this series.
When I was a kid, Charlie Brown was very popular. Cartoons in the paper, and movies, etc.
One of the sayings that has stuck with me over the years is “You’re a good man Charlie Brown”.
I say that from time to time when I see goodness in people. I am deliberate in telling them that.
I had the occasion to say that to someone this week, who displayed goodness in an amazing way.
Paul has some direct words for us in Romans 2:4 “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”
If we value the riches of His goodness, we can’t help but pour that goodness on those around us!
Here’s a definition of goodness:
a belief in the basic goodness of mankind.
Nobel Prize winner Sam Bellow said this:
A man is only as good as what he loves.
If we changed that to “a man is only as good as who he loves (meaning God), then at least we are walking in the right direction of being in His image.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Romans 7:18 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.”
Church, we are not good on our own. We must lean into the goodness of God.
Moral goodness essentially means “conformity to God’s principles and character”.
3 John 11 “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.”
Colossians 1:10 “that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
As I’ve been on this 30 day challenge of fruit of the Spirit I’ve come to realize this:
I am making a transition from flesh led “I can produce fruit on my own”, to a Spirit led knowledge that “nothing in me produces fruit without being led by the Holy Spirit.”
If I take a single step in the right direction, is it because the Holy Spirit led me there!
This week pray about producing fruit of Spirit in your lives.
Next week, we will wrap this up as we examine:
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
