Sermon - 10/28/07

Joy: Fruit of the Holy Spirit
Acts 2 and Galatians 5

In this series of sermons, we are looking at discovering joy in God, in discipline and in a number of other places in our Chr life. This morning we are looking at joy as it comes from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the most neglected member of the Trinity. We do not say enough about the presence of the Spirit of God and his work. Today we are going to see how the Spirit works in each of us to give us real joy.
The Holy Spirit was at work in the OT but was given in a special way in the NT. The night before Jesus was crucified; he gathered his disciples in the upper room and talked to them about what was going to happen to them after he left them. An essential teaching for them was the promise of the Holy Spirit, the comforter, the counselor, who would come to them when Jesus went away from them into heaven. (John 16) This promise was fulfilled in Acts 2 when God sent the Holy Spirit to his disciples. Read with me Acts 2.1 – 4. There were 120 believers gathered in the room when God fulfilled his promise by sending the Holy Spirit to them. It was seen as tongues of fire sitting on their heads, and these people spoke in other tongues or languages, and people in the crowd in Jerusalem from other countries could hear them speak in their own language. One of the main differences between the OT and NT is that the Holy Spirit came to all believers and not just a few.
Then the Apostle Peter stood up and preached to them. A summary of the message is recorded in Acts 2. He told them that God had sent Jesus as the Messiah and that the people of Jerusalem had killed him by crucifying him on a cross. When they heard this they were convicted of their guilt of killing the son of God, they asked what they should do. Peter told them in Acts 2.36 – 41. Read. These Jews were told to repent or their sins and to be baptized. When they did that, their sins would be forgiven and they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. There are two things we are to do – repent and be baptized. There are two results both extremely important to us. All of our past sins are totally taken away, forgiven completely. I am not saying much more about this, but the gift of the Spirit is exceedingly important.
Do you realize that you have the Holy Spirit of God living in you? Every one who has been baptized into Jesus Christ has the Spirit of God in him or her right now. That is exciting and a confusing truth. God the Holy Spirit is in us to help us live our lives for God. Does that seem sort of mystical or spiritual? It is and it should be. But is Holy Spirit is not a tyrant or dictator. He is there but waits for us to ask for his help and guidance. The Spirit of God is in us.
In the NT the Spirit gives us gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit. We could have a series of sermons on the gifts of the Spirit – the main passages about these are found in Romans 12 and 1 Cor. 12 -14, and Ephesians 4 and 1 Peter 4. But we are going to look at the fruit of the Spirit today. The passage about these is found in Galatians 5.22 – 26. Read.
All of these qualities are the result of the Holy Spirit helping them to grow in us. These are the qualities that should grow in us when the Spirit plants them. When we plant a garden, we expect that what we plant will grow – plant peas, and we expect peas to grow. (Story about Uncle Vic and his friend planted squash and Vic replaced them with cucumbers seeds. Two years in a row.) The Holy Spirit plants this fruit in us and he expects it to grow. This fruit – word is the singular – like a clump of grapes rather than a variety of individual fruits. One other essential point needs to be made – this fruit is supernatural. It comes from God, through the Spirit of God.
The fruit of supernatural love is listed first. This is agape love, sacrificial love that thinks first of the needs of others not ourselves. Natural love is good to see. I love to watch my sons and their wives with their kids – they love them and it show. Some times raising kids demands supernatural love from God. This love sees others in need and does something about it like the Good Samaritan. We need to love God, our neighbor and ourselves.
Next in the list is supernatural joy. This is the joy that comes from God. Natural joy is happiness, but this is supernatural joy does not depending on circumstances. Many of our brothers and sisters in Christ are under severe persecution, but they have the joy of Christ in them, supernatural joy.
Supernatural peace is the next one on the list. We need peace in this world desperately. The peace listed here is peace with God. We do not need to fear God – he is working for our benefit through the Holy Spirit. This peace extends to our personal relationships – peace with others. And there is peace within ourselves. Some tremendous wars go on inside of us. The peace of God helps us to be at peace within ourselves.
The next three fruit of the Spirit help us in dealing with others. We need supernatural patience in dealing with others. I don’t have any problem with patience, except when I am driving a car and a few other places. (All of the idiot drivers in the world know when I am driving and they make sure they drive in front of me.) I think we need to be patiently impatient with others. For me, I am too patient with myself and impatient with others. God is infinitely patient with me in my spiritual growth and I need to be patient with others, patiently impatient.
We need to have supernatural kindness and goodness. Have you ever said something and as soon as it came out of your mouth, you said to yourself that was not very kind? With the love of God in us we say, think and do the kindest things. Goodness here has the element of giving to others to help them. I read a mission letter this week from a couple who are doing a good work in a difficult country. They were not receiving enough money to pay their bills. Part of me said, that is too bad, but the Spirit in me said, Steve what can you do to help them? That was the Spirit helping me to show goodness.
The last three fruit of the Spirit are qualities that we are to have in our character or inner being – supernatural faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I need to be faithful to God in all I do and am. The Spirit helps me to be faithful to him in a God inspired way. In dealing with others, people need to see the Spirit’s gentleness in me. Even in the face of opposition, I treat others with gentleness. Self-control is really being Spirit controlled. He lives in us to help us to avoid sin in deed or thought.
The main thing we need to do is pray for and then let the Spirit of God grow his fruit in us. Pray with me: I thank you my Lord for the Holy Spirit living in all of us. Fill us each day with your Spirit so your fruit will grow in us, supernatural love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We want to be like you in every way. In the Name of Jesus Christ we pray.
If you are here today and want to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sin, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we invite you to come forward. All of us pray to open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.