*1 Cor. 1:21-29
?it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
Galatians 5:16, ?This I say then, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh
24 hours in a day total
8-10 hours working
2 hours a day driving
.45 minutes getting ready for work
8-9 hours of sleep
1-2 hours with family
*15 minutes left in the day
What Are the Requirements for living life in the Spirit?
A young man that had been recently converted asked the pastor;
So what should I change now that I have given my life to Jesus?
The pastor said; ?Start off with taking off your ear ring, go to the store and buy slacks that fit and change your hair cut.
-The external appearance if any, should be a result of our walk with God not a manmade mandate that someone indorses .
-Living life in the spirit is not determined by how long or how short your hair is.
-Not by the colors that you wear.
-Not by not shaving the hair on your legs or your armpits.
?Living in the spirit is not something you do only five or fifteen minutes a day but a lifestyle?.
If you only spend five or ten minutes it?s going to show in the way that you live your life.
If you only pay attention to the external things......
In the way that you handle tough situations in your life.
1. People who live in the spirit surrender the control of their mind, will and emotions to the Holy Spirit.
*Rom.8:6, ?But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace.
*(Gal. 5:16) 6 So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit.,
2. Seek maturity.* (Eph. 4:15,16), ?Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.?
3. The power of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8)
-Be clothed with the power of the Holy Spirit, Acts 10:38
II. The results of living a life yielded to the spirit.
1. The Fruit of the Spirit is: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control.
2. THE ELEMENTS OF THE FRUIT
1. The first three(LOVE, JOY, PEACE) are in relation to God.
Love
a) Love without conditions.
b) Love without barriers.
c) Agape love.
* 1Corinthians 13.
?If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn?t love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn?t love others, what good would I be? And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn?t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. 6 It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance?.
Joy
a) The joy of the Lord is my strength
b) God?s joy.
c) The joy that circumstances can?t take away
Peace
a) Tranquillity
b) The peace in the midst of the storm.
c) Peace that is based on God?s word . .
2. The next three(PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS) are in relation to man.
Patience
a) waiting on God.
b) when others get on your nerves.
Kindness
a) Grace /favor
Goodness
a) Don?t get tired of doing good
b) Acting on God?s command, not your instinct.
3. The last three(FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL) are in relation to one?s own inner life.
a) work on being faithful
b) being gentle is being passive.
c) ?God has not given you a spirit of fear but of power, of love and of a sound mind?.
CLOSE;
3. The secret to bearing spiritual fruit is to remain in Jesus, He said;
* John 15:4
4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can
bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you
bear (spiritual fruit) unless you remain in me.
