WEBVTT 00:00:02.250 --> 00:00:06.330 Everybody loves freedom. We like to feel like 00:00:06.330 --> 00:00:09.169 we have control over our lives. We want to have 00:00:09.169 --> 00:00:11.529 control over the situations, the circumstances 00:00:11.529 --> 00:00:15.130 that we're in. We fight for freedom. We celebrate 00:00:15.130 --> 00:00:18.109 freedom. We pray for freedom. We thank God for 00:00:18.109 --> 00:00:21.210 freedom. But I have a question for you this morning. 00:00:22.269 --> 00:00:27.570 Freedom for what? What do you need freedom for? 00:00:28.370 --> 00:00:32.320 Is it... You wanting your parents to let go of 00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:36.320 the handlebars so that you can be the one riding 00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:40.899 the bike? Is it wanting the keys to the car so 00:00:40.899 --> 00:00:43.420 that you can go wherever you want, whenever you 00:00:43.420 --> 00:00:47.179 want, with whoever you want? What do you want 00:00:47.179 --> 00:00:51.740 freedom for? Parents, you'll appreciate that 00:00:51.740 --> 00:00:57.359 last one about the car because if you've had 00:00:57.359 --> 00:01:00.219 children that started driving, I can imagine 00:01:00.219 --> 00:01:03.600 there was a fear when you put those keys in their 00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:07.659 hand for the first time. Because you know, as 00:01:07.659 --> 00:01:10.900 well as anyone should know, newfound freedom 00:01:10.900 --> 00:01:15.060 without direction, without guidance, without 00:01:15.060 --> 00:01:19.340 help. It can be dangerous. I want you to think 00:01:19.340 --> 00:01:26.000 about a kite. A kite floats in the air. And it 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:28.120 has a string attached to it, and the string... 00:01:28.519 --> 00:01:31.620 can feel like it's holding the kite back. It 00:01:31.620 --> 00:01:34.099 can feel like it's keeping the kite from being 00:01:34.099 --> 00:01:36.700 able to fly where it wants to fly and go where 00:01:36.700 --> 00:01:39.180 it wants to go. But if you cut the string of 00:01:39.180 --> 00:01:42.680 the kite, what happens? It falls. It crashes. 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:48.700 It's the tension of the string that lifts the 00:01:48.700 --> 00:01:51.920 kite in the air. It gives the kite the ability 00:01:51.920 --> 00:01:55.500 to soar. The same is true with freedom. Freedom 00:01:55.500 --> 00:01:58.870 without connection. doesn't take you higher. 00:01:59.510 --> 00:02:02.250 Freedom without being anchored to something doesn't 00:02:02.250 --> 00:02:05.709 take you higher. It actually usually, I would 00:02:05.709 --> 00:02:10.650 say always, leads to your demise. And that's 00:02:10.650 --> 00:02:12.969 exactly what Paul is dealing with in Galatians 00:02:12.969 --> 00:02:16.509 chapter 5. In Galatians, the Apostle Paul is 00:02:16.509 --> 00:02:21.569 trying to deal with this conversation of... Christians 00:02:21.569 --> 00:02:24.610 in Galatia or modern day Turkey, they've been 00:02:24.610 --> 00:02:26.530 set free from the law and they've been set free 00:02:26.530 --> 00:02:28.849 from the bondage of sin. And now they're falling 00:02:28.849 --> 00:02:31.110 victim to these false teachings. And so Paul 00:02:31.110 --> 00:02:33.169 is trying to help them understand that you've 00:02:33.169 --> 00:02:35.789 been set free, you've been saved, and that trying 00:02:35.789 --> 00:02:38.870 to earn your salvation through rules, through 00:02:38.870 --> 00:02:43.250 rituals, is not going to cut it for you. But 00:02:43.250 --> 00:02:45.370 some were starting to use that freedom. They 00:02:45.370 --> 00:02:48.349 understood very well that they were now free. 00:02:48.530 --> 00:02:50.849 And so they're using this freedom as an excuse 00:02:50.849 --> 00:02:53.550 to just live however they want. To go wherever 00:02:53.550 --> 00:02:56.270 they want. To do whatever they want. To say whatever 00:02:56.270 --> 00:02:59.389 they want. They were abusing this freedom. And 00:02:59.389 --> 00:03:02.569 the same temptations that they faced then, we 00:03:02.569 --> 00:03:08.530 face today. The temptation to just do what you 00:03:08.530 --> 00:03:12.620 want to do. Or be who you want to be. Do what 00:03:12.620 --> 00:03:16.759 makes you happy. To live however you want. To 00:03:16.759 --> 00:03:19.979 live without love or without restraint. To live 00:03:19.979 --> 00:03:23.259 without concern. And so Paul writes to the Galatian 00:03:23.259 --> 00:03:25.620 Christians and he says, you've been set free. 00:03:26.340 --> 00:03:29.400 And you've been set free for a purpose. Not to 00:03:29.400 --> 00:03:31.900 serve yourselves, but to serve others. That's 00:03:31.900 --> 00:03:35.000 the freedom that you've been given. It is a freedom 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:40.620 with a calling. To serve. To lift others up. 00:03:41.360 --> 00:03:46.280 To help others to see the same Christ that broke 00:03:46.280 --> 00:03:50.620 your chains free so that they can have theirs 00:03:50.620 --> 00:03:53.180 broken as well. I want us to read Galatians chapter 00:03:53.180 --> 00:03:56.879 5 verses 13 through 26 together. It's going to 00:03:56.879 --> 00:03:58.300 be on the screen. If you want to pull it up in 00:03:58.300 --> 00:04:00.599 your Bible, you can. I'll have three slides, 00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:02.340 so y 'all hold me accountable to switch slides 00:04:02.340 --> 00:04:04.719 because I always forget to do that. Here we go. 00:04:04.759 --> 00:04:09.689 Galatians chapter 5 verses 13 through 26. For 00:04:09.689 --> 00:04:12.189 you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do 00:04:12.189 --> 00:04:14.650 not use your freedom as an opportunity for the 00:04:14.650 --> 00:04:18.870 flesh, but through love serve one another. For 00:04:18.870 --> 00:04:21.129 the whole law is fulfilled in one word. You shall 00:04:21.129 --> 00:04:24.089 love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite 00:04:24.089 --> 00:04:26.910 and devour one another, watch out that you are 00:04:26.910 --> 00:04:31.009 not consumed by one another. But I say, walk 00:04:31.009 --> 00:04:34.430 by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires 00:04:34.430 --> 00:04:37.639 of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are 00:04:37.639 --> 00:04:39.800 against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit 00:04:39.800 --> 00:04:42.019 are against the flesh. For these are opposed 00:04:42.019 --> 00:04:45.959 to each other to keep you from doing the things 00:04:45.959 --> 00:04:50.379 you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, 00:04:50.540 --> 00:04:53.120 you are not under the law. Now the works of the 00:04:53.120 --> 00:04:56.879 flesh are evident. Sexual immorality. impurity, 00:04:56.980 --> 00:05:00.839 sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, 00:05:00.879 --> 00:05:03.879 jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, 00:05:04.100 --> 00:05:07.220 divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things 00:05:07.220 --> 00:05:09.379 like these. Paul does not hold back, does he? 00:05:11.160 --> 00:05:15.379 I warn you, as I warned you before, that those 00:05:15.379 --> 00:05:18.839 who do such things will not inherit the kingdom 00:05:18.839 --> 00:05:23.420 of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, 00:05:23.480 --> 00:05:29.970 joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 00:05:30.089 --> 00:05:33.750 gentleness, self -control. Against such things 00:05:33.750 --> 00:05:38.370 there is no law. And those who belong to Christ 00:05:38.370 --> 00:05:42.610 have crucified the flesh with its passions and 00:05:42.610 --> 00:05:46.649 desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also 00:05:46.649 --> 00:05:50.629 keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become 00:05:50.629 --> 00:05:55.270 conceited, provoking one another, envying. Paul 00:05:55.270 --> 00:05:59.589 begins with a reminder there in verse 13. He 00:05:59.589 --> 00:06:01.709 says, you've been called to freedom. You were 00:06:01.709 --> 00:06:04.269 called to freedom, brothers. Only don't use this 00:06:04.269 --> 00:06:07.410 freedom as an opportunity to serve the flesh, 00:06:07.569 --> 00:06:09.589 but through love serve one another. We've been 00:06:09.589 --> 00:06:12.209 freed not to do whatever pleases us, not to do 00:06:12.209 --> 00:06:15.750 what makes me happy, but to do what pleases God. 00:06:16.569 --> 00:06:19.649 And the truth of the matter is, if you do what 00:06:19.649 --> 00:06:24.310 pleases God, you will find a full life. Do what 00:06:24.310 --> 00:06:27.089 pleases God. And Paul sums it up. He tells us 00:06:27.089 --> 00:06:29.149 what that looks like there in verse 14. For the 00:06:29.149 --> 00:06:32.870 whole law is fulfilled in one word. You love 00:06:32.870 --> 00:06:36.870 your neighbor as yourself. I don't know about 00:06:36.870 --> 00:06:39.709 you, but on the days that I'm not telling myself 00:06:39.709 --> 00:06:43.949 mean things about me, I love myself. You know 00:06:43.949 --> 00:06:46.769 how I know? I make sure that I never go hungry. 00:06:47.209 --> 00:06:49.490 I make sure that I have clothes when it's cold. 00:06:49.569 --> 00:06:51.509 I have warm clothes when it's hot. I have less 00:06:51.509 --> 00:06:53.959 clothes. I make sure that the air conditioner 00:06:53.959 --> 00:06:57.319 is set to the right temp. I make sure that I 00:06:57.319 --> 00:07:00.439 have the things that I like. I have the things 00:07:00.439 --> 00:07:05.240 that make me happy, except LSU football. Clearly, 00:07:05.300 --> 00:07:10.199 I don't love myself enough. I love myself, and 00:07:10.199 --> 00:07:12.500 it's evident by the way that I take care of myself. 00:07:13.259 --> 00:07:15.339 And the same is true for you. You eat good food 00:07:15.339 --> 00:07:17.620 when you want good food and you put the clothes 00:07:17.620 --> 00:07:19.339 on your body that you need to be comfortable 00:07:19.339 --> 00:07:21.819 when you want to be comfortable. You love yourself. 00:07:22.100 --> 00:07:24.560 And so what Paul is saying is if you will treat 00:07:24.560 --> 00:07:29.279 your neighbor like you treat yourself, the law 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:33.220 is fulfilled. If the people next to you don't 00:07:33.220 --> 00:07:35.220 have to go hungry, if the people next to you 00:07:35.220 --> 00:07:38.040 don't have to worry about where they're going 00:07:38.040 --> 00:07:39.920 to find warmth or where they're going to find 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:41.980 shelter in the middle of a storm, if the people 00:07:41.980 --> 00:07:46.879 around you, Feel your love. The law is fulfilled. 00:07:47.920 --> 00:07:52.379 And that word love there is the word agape, which 00:07:52.379 --> 00:07:55.720 is this unconditional, this godly, self -giving 00:07:55.720 --> 00:07:57.759 love. It's a love that's not really based on 00:07:57.759 --> 00:08:00.240 feelings. It's not based on conditions. It's 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:02.500 not based on what you can do for me. But it's 00:08:02.500 --> 00:08:07.439 a decision to serve and treat others well, regardless 00:08:07.439 --> 00:08:12.160 of what it costs us. And so Paul says, use your 00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:16.540 freedom to love and serve one another. And if 00:08:16.540 --> 00:08:19.800 you'll do that, your freedom will be evident. 00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:23.420 You see, freedom is kind of like a fire. In a 00:08:23.420 --> 00:08:27.839 fireplace, it burns and it gives warmth and it 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:30.540 gives a nice glow. And maybe you're like me and 00:08:30.540 --> 00:08:32.480 you like to sit in front of a fire and it kind 00:08:32.480 --> 00:08:35.000 of feels therapeutic, right? When it's contained 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:39.500 to a space. But outside of a fireplace. It burns 00:08:39.500 --> 00:08:43.679 the whole house down. Freedom in Christ is meant 00:08:43.679 --> 00:08:46.620 to warm other people. It's meant to be therapeutic 00:08:46.620 --> 00:08:51.240 to others when it is shown through love. It's 00:08:51.240 --> 00:08:54.220 not supposed to scorch them with our selfishness. 00:08:55.740 --> 00:08:58.360 See, Paul goes on and he adds a warning in verse 00:08:58.360 --> 00:09:03.980 15. If you bite and devour one another, watch 00:09:03.980 --> 00:09:06.600 out that you're not consumed by one another. 00:09:07.230 --> 00:09:09.570 I want you to imagine a pack of hungry wolves. 00:09:09.809 --> 00:09:12.710 They haven't eaten in a while. And finally, they 00:09:12.710 --> 00:09:16.669 come across some prey. And so they get that prey 00:09:16.669 --> 00:09:19.070 down and they start eating at it. They don't 00:09:19.070 --> 00:09:20.690 wait. They don't hesitate. And they're just in 00:09:20.690 --> 00:09:23.529 there biting on it. But as they're doing that, 00:09:23.570 --> 00:09:26.149 they start biting each other on accident because 00:09:26.149 --> 00:09:27.710 they're not paying attention to who's around 00:09:27.710 --> 00:09:29.269 them. They're all just trying to get theirs. 00:09:29.330 --> 00:09:31.090 And so they're biting each other and they're 00:09:31.090 --> 00:09:34.809 eating this prey. And all of a sudden, they realize 00:09:34.809 --> 00:09:38.009 that they're getting weaker. And that the bites 00:09:38.009 --> 00:09:41.389 start to hurt a little bit less, but also their 00:09:41.389 --> 00:09:45.269 energy is decreasing as well. And next thing 00:09:45.269 --> 00:09:48.029 you know, these wolves have no life left in them. 00:09:48.070 --> 00:09:51.809 They're dead. Because not only did they eat the 00:09:51.809 --> 00:09:55.330 prey, but they ate each other. And that's what 00:09:55.330 --> 00:09:57.210 I think about when I'm reading what Paul is saying. 00:09:57.309 --> 00:10:00.429 He's like, don't bite each other. Don't eat each 00:10:00.429 --> 00:10:03.190 other for the sake of getting your fill. Make 00:10:03.190 --> 00:10:06.970 sure that you don't consume one another. You 00:10:06.970 --> 00:10:09.850 see, the freedom that feeds yourself, the freedom 00:10:09.850 --> 00:10:12.049 that makes sure that you get yours and you get 00:10:12.049 --> 00:10:14.210 what you need and you get what you want, that 00:10:14.210 --> 00:10:18.830 freedom will kill you. It'll cause you to crash. 00:10:19.710 --> 00:10:24.070 But the freedom that serves other people will 00:10:24.070 --> 00:10:26.509 fulfill you. If the wolves all wait their turn, 00:10:26.610 --> 00:10:30.309 they will all get fed. Nobody's going to go hungry. 00:10:31.309 --> 00:10:34.330 It's like when I watched Peyton, my two -year 00:10:34.330 --> 00:10:38.320 -old. When he gets a drink, he can't just sip 00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:42.200 on a drink. He can't just take it to swallows 00:10:42.200 --> 00:10:46.039 from the straw. He has to chug a drink as if 00:10:46.039 --> 00:10:49.899 he's afraid it's going somewhere. And then he 00:10:49.899 --> 00:10:52.299 chugs it, and because the drink hasn't fully 00:10:52.299 --> 00:10:54.120 gotten into his stomach yet and he thinks he 00:10:54.120 --> 00:10:55.980 still needs more, he's like, can I have some 00:10:55.980 --> 00:10:59.820 more? No. We all need something to drink too. 00:11:00.080 --> 00:11:02.240 And if you go on like this, you're going to be 00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:05.580 bloated and we're going to be thirsty. If we 00:11:05.580 --> 00:11:10.440 will all just wait and be patient and be selfless, 00:11:10.539 --> 00:11:16.639 we will be fulfilled. Now Paul shifts the focus 00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:22.320 a bit in verse 16. Walk by the Spirit, and you 00:11:22.320 --> 00:11:24.480 will not gratify the desires of the flesh. And 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:27.299 I don't know about you, but again, I love myself. 00:11:27.379 --> 00:11:31.059 And the idea of gratifying my flesh sounds good. 00:11:31.850 --> 00:11:34.889 It sounds like what the world tells me God should 00:11:34.889 --> 00:11:37.389 want for me. If God loves me, He should want 00:11:37.389 --> 00:11:39.470 me to be happy. If God loves me, He should want 00:11:39.470 --> 00:11:44.610 me to have what I want. But that's not the way 00:11:44.610 --> 00:11:47.730 God works, is it? He's a little bit counter -cultural, 00:11:47.789 --> 00:11:52.230 is He not? And the word walk there, it translates 00:11:52.230 --> 00:11:55.769 best to live. So it's the everyday pattern that 00:11:55.769 --> 00:12:00.370 you walk in. It's the route of your life. This 00:12:00.370 --> 00:12:02.769 is the way you live. And so Paul is saying, let 00:12:02.769 --> 00:12:06.210 the Spirit lead every part of your life. In everything 00:12:06.210 --> 00:12:08.389 you do, everywhere you go, everything you say, 00:12:08.549 --> 00:12:13.669 let the Spirit guide you. Because the truth is, 00:12:13.750 --> 00:12:17.250 when the Spirit leads, the flesh loses. There's 00:12:17.250 --> 00:12:19.730 this tug of war happening inside of every believer. 00:12:20.789 --> 00:12:24.159 Inside of you. Something is trying to fight for 00:12:24.159 --> 00:12:26.519 your attention. It's trying to fight for your 00:12:26.519 --> 00:12:29.679 fulfillment inside of me. The same is happening. 00:12:29.799 --> 00:12:32.460 We're all dealing with this tug of war. And Paul 00:12:32.460 --> 00:12:35.159 says this in verse 17, for the desires of the 00:12:35.159 --> 00:12:37.340 flesh are against the spirit. The desires of 00:12:37.340 --> 00:12:40.500 the spirit are against the flesh. These are opposed 00:12:40.500 --> 00:12:43.980 to each other. It's like Georgia and Tennessee. 00:12:44.500 --> 00:12:52.620 They do not go together. They oppose. They're 00:12:52.620 --> 00:12:55.960 enemies. Maybe you've heard the old saying, inside 00:12:55.960 --> 00:12:59.220 every man are two wolves. Which one will you 00:12:59.220 --> 00:13:03.700 feed? One is good and one is evil. And someone 00:13:03.700 --> 00:13:09.100 might ask, well, which wolf wins out? The one 00:13:09.100 --> 00:13:14.080 you feed. The one you feed. The wolf inside of 00:13:14.080 --> 00:13:16.679 you that you feed is the one that will win. So 00:13:16.679 --> 00:13:20.960 if you feed the Spirit, that will win. If you 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:24.399 feed self, that will win. Which one are you going 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:26.179 to feed? That's what Paul is saying here. He 00:13:26.179 --> 00:13:29.940 says, feed the Spirit. And verse 18 brings some 00:13:29.940 --> 00:13:31.960 clarity. If you are led by the Spirit, you're 00:13:31.960 --> 00:13:34.059 not under the law. So if you want to maintain 00:13:34.059 --> 00:13:42.559 your freedom, follow the Spirit. Follow the Spirit. 00:13:43.039 --> 00:13:45.840 And that doesn't mean that... God's moral law 00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:48.659 no longer matters. It's not an excuse to sin. 00:13:48.779 --> 00:13:51.259 It's not an excuse to live how you please. In 00:13:51.259 --> 00:13:53.919 fact, it's the complete opposite. It means we're 00:13:53.919 --> 00:13:57.460 no longer condemned by the law. We're no longer 00:13:57.460 --> 00:14:00.419 condemned by the flesh. The Spirit now leads 00:14:00.419 --> 00:14:03.340 us from within. And the law shows us what holiness 00:14:03.340 --> 00:14:06.399 looks like. The law wasn't a bad thing. And so 00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:08.419 I don't want it to ever sound like I'm saying 00:14:08.419 --> 00:14:10.200 all that stuff in the New Testament, throw it 00:14:10.200 --> 00:14:12.919 out. That stuff is good. It shows us what holiness 00:14:12.919 --> 00:14:16.700 looks like. But the spirit within us that Christ 00:14:16.700 --> 00:14:21.080 promised us gives us the power to live out that 00:14:21.080 --> 00:14:25.720 holiness. Think of it this way. The law is kind 00:14:25.720 --> 00:14:28.320 of like road signs. And if you're like me, you 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:32.179 don't know what 575 means. You just, you follow 00:14:32.179 --> 00:14:36.080 the GPS sometimes. You try to go where the GPS 00:14:36.080 --> 00:14:38.799 says to go. The law is kind of like a road map. 00:14:38.820 --> 00:14:40.879 It tells you where to go, but it doesn't fully 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:42.840 help you get there. And so if you don't really 00:14:42.840 --> 00:14:45.539 know what you're doing, you're not going to get 00:14:45.539 --> 00:14:50.460 there. The Spirit is like the GPS. It gives you 00:14:50.460 --> 00:14:55.500 turn -by -turn instructions. It tells you in 00:14:55.500 --> 00:14:57.940 50 feet, turn here. But if you're like me, you 00:14:57.940 --> 00:14:59.600 turn the volume off because it messes up the 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:02.220 song. It's really annoying. Don't do that with 00:15:02.220 --> 00:15:05.149 the Spirit, though. The Spirit's like the GPS 00:15:05.149 --> 00:15:06.850 that not only tells you where to go, it gives 00:15:06.850 --> 00:15:08.710 you step -by -step and turn -by -turn directions. 00:15:08.990 --> 00:15:10.990 And when you go the wrong way, when you miss 00:15:10.990 --> 00:15:13.710 your turn, it recalculates a way to get you to 00:15:13.710 --> 00:15:16.850 your destination. Again, if you've ever been 00:15:16.850 --> 00:15:19.570 driving through Atlanta and you're someone like 00:15:19.570 --> 00:15:22.049 me who doesn't like driving in big cities and 00:15:22.049 --> 00:15:25.210 you miss the turn, if it's up to me, we're going 00:15:25.210 --> 00:15:27.889 wherever the road that is right in front of us 00:15:27.889 --> 00:15:29.789 is taking us. Because I don't know where to go 00:15:29.789 --> 00:15:31.470 and I'm going to panic and just keep driving 00:15:31.470 --> 00:15:35.519 and hope. that I figure out my way. Thank God 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:38.840 for GPSs. And the same is true for life. Thank 00:15:38.840 --> 00:15:41.600 God that he gives us the spirit to indwell in 00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:43.720 us and point us where we need to go and tell 00:15:43.720 --> 00:15:46.460 us, go this way. And when we miss the term, when 00:15:46.460 --> 00:15:49.679 we miss the spirit, it tells us, okay, you missed 00:15:49.679 --> 00:15:51.379 it, but let's go this way and it'll get us back 00:15:51.379 --> 00:15:54.879 where God needs us to go. When you're led by 00:15:54.879 --> 00:15:56.940 the spirit, you don't just have information. 00:15:57.559 --> 00:16:02.000 You have transformation. It gets inside of you. 00:16:02.379 --> 00:16:05.360 And it not only tells you where to go, it just 00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:08.700 brings you there. When you let the Spirit lead, 00:16:09.080 --> 00:16:14.100 your life will look so, so much different than 00:16:14.100 --> 00:16:18.059 that of the world. And now Paul is going to contrast 00:16:18.059 --> 00:16:20.299 a little bit. He says, now the works of the flesh 00:16:20.299 --> 00:16:22.419 are evident. And then he goes on to list them 00:16:22.419 --> 00:16:24.360 all. We've read them all. Again, Paul doesn't 00:16:24.360 --> 00:16:29.639 hold back. And then he says this, I warn you, 00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:33.559 as I warned you before, that those who do such 00:16:33.559 --> 00:16:37.519 things will not inherit the kingdom of God. I'm 00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:39.379 just going to say this really quick. There is 00:16:39.379 --> 00:16:41.899 this teaching, and it's been around for a while. 00:16:41.940 --> 00:16:43.779 We feel like it's a new thing, but it's not, 00:16:43.919 --> 00:16:47.820 that you can just live however you want, and 00:16:47.820 --> 00:16:50.159 as long as you're a good person, good person, 00:16:50.379 --> 00:16:53.700 you can go to heaven. You can live however you 00:16:53.700 --> 00:16:55.740 want, and as long as you don't kill anybody, 00:16:56.019 --> 00:17:00.669 you can go to heaven. The Apostle Paul... who 00:17:00.669 --> 00:17:03.990 was divinely inspired to say such words, writes 00:17:03.990 --> 00:17:08.910 down these God -breathed words and says, here's 00:17:08.910 --> 00:17:11.470 some clear ways that you cannot get into the 00:17:11.470 --> 00:17:15.490 kingdom. And I do believe he's referring to the 00:17:15.490 --> 00:17:18.950 kingdom then and the kingdom now. And these aren't 00:17:18.950 --> 00:17:22.190 just bad habits. These are symptoms of a deeper 00:17:22.190 --> 00:17:26.950 sickness. They are evidence of a life fully detached 00:17:26.950 --> 00:17:31.160 from the Spirit of God. If I'm living a life 00:17:31.160 --> 00:17:38.980 of immorality, of envy, if I'm living a life 00:17:38.980 --> 00:17:44.940 of drunkenness, of division, of impurity, I'm 00:17:44.940 --> 00:17:48.339 showing that there is something deep within me 00:17:48.339 --> 00:17:52.519 that is not right. It's not connected to the 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:56.759 Spirit of God. And Paul isn't trying to shame 00:17:56.759 --> 00:18:00.779 us. For that. He's not trying to let you sit 00:18:00.779 --> 00:18:02.880 there and just wallow in self -pity because, 00:18:02.940 --> 00:18:05.599 well, I got drunk last night. He's not trying 00:18:05.599 --> 00:18:07.980 to make you feel awful because you slept with 00:18:07.980 --> 00:18:09.640 that person and y 'all weren't married. He's 00:18:09.640 --> 00:18:13.519 not trying to make you feel bad about your sin. 00:18:13.619 --> 00:18:16.500 What he's trying to do is warn you because there 00:18:16.500 --> 00:18:20.119 is still time to get back on course. Because 00:18:20.119 --> 00:18:22.079 the works of the flesh, they don't just break 00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:24.700 the rules, they break lives. You've seen it before 00:18:24.700 --> 00:18:27.160 in divided churches. You've seen it before in 00:18:27.160 --> 00:18:29.700 destroyed relationships and in enslaved hearts. 00:18:29.819 --> 00:18:32.599 But there is still time to get it right. After 00:18:32.599 --> 00:18:35.940 saying all of this, Paul shifts from the negative 00:18:35.940 --> 00:18:38.759 to show us the positive. Because again, there 00:18:38.759 --> 00:18:41.740 is still time to get back on course. He says 00:18:41.740 --> 00:18:45.599 the fruit of the Spirit is love. And I am going 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:46.980 to read through these because they're important. 00:18:47.640 --> 00:18:53.960 Joy. Peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:57.720 gentleness, self -control. Against such things 00:18:57.720 --> 00:19:03.519 there is no law. We need a whole lot of that, 00:19:03.579 --> 00:19:08.380 don't we? I want you to notice the word fruit 00:19:08.380 --> 00:19:12.599 there is singular. Paul's not describing a fruit 00:19:12.599 --> 00:19:14.660 basket that somebody brings you for a holiday. 00:19:15.400 --> 00:19:18.380 What Paul is describing is... This one fruit 00:19:18.380 --> 00:19:23.079 that's got these many different complex flavors. 00:19:23.279 --> 00:19:27.539 Think Dr. Pepper and 23 flavors. And it is so 00:19:27.539 --> 00:19:30.640 good. That's the fruit of the Spirit. You can 00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:32.180 go ahead and put that on a t -shirt. The fruit 00:19:32.180 --> 00:19:37.960 of the Spirit is Dr. Pepper. The Spirit produces 00:19:37.960 --> 00:19:40.519 this fruit that has all of these beautiful flavors 00:19:40.519 --> 00:19:44.099 that when consumed and when witnessed and experienced 00:19:44.099 --> 00:19:48.059 by the world, taste so good. These qualities, 00:19:48.259 --> 00:19:50.980 these aspects of the fruit, they grow together 00:19:50.980 --> 00:19:53.819 to form this one amazing product. And that amazing 00:19:53.819 --> 00:19:57.380 product is life in the Spirit of God. You cannot 00:19:57.380 --> 00:20:00.430 fake this fruit. It cannot be made in a lab. 00:20:00.589 --> 00:20:04.029 It cannot be tried harder for. This fruit is 00:20:04.029 --> 00:20:06.849 not achieved by trying harder. It's not achieved 00:20:06.849 --> 00:20:10.970 by you doing better. This fruit is only produced 00:20:10.970 --> 00:20:15.589 by staying connected to the Spirit of God. An 00:20:15.589 --> 00:20:19.190 apple tree does not grunt or strain to produce 00:20:19.190 --> 00:20:24.490 apples. It just stays rooted. It draws nutrients 00:20:24.490 --> 00:20:29.420 from the ground. And the fruit... happens naturally. 00:20:32.140 --> 00:20:34.960 That's what happens when we stay connected to 00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:37.920 the Spirit. The character of God grows in us. 00:20:37.940 --> 00:20:40.099 For a long time, we haven't talked about the 00:20:40.099 --> 00:20:41.740 Spirit enough in our churches. We've kind of 00:20:41.740 --> 00:20:45.140 demystified being a part of the kingdom of God, 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:47.960 but I don't care if this gets me in trouble. 00:20:48.039 --> 00:20:50.720 I'm sorry. The Spirit is alive and active, and 00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:52.720 if you will connect to it, your life will be 00:20:52.720 --> 00:20:55.299 changed for the better, and that life will change 00:20:55.299 --> 00:20:59.400 the life around you. Because you remember the 00:20:59.400 --> 00:21:03.019 first time you had a sip of Dr. Pepper. And then 00:21:03.019 --> 00:21:05.920 you were hooked. And all the little bit of money 00:21:05.920 --> 00:21:08.079 you had in college is now gone, but you've got 00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:10.960 a mini fridge full of Dr. Pepper and Hot Pockets. 00:21:12.859 --> 00:21:15.940 When you experience and you taste the fruit that 00:21:15.940 --> 00:21:19.420 comes from the Spirit of God, your life is changed 00:21:19.420 --> 00:21:25.720 forever for the better. And Paul says, against 00:21:25.720 --> 00:21:29.430 such things there is no law. There's nothing 00:21:29.430 --> 00:21:34.509 that can condemn the fruit of the Spirit. Who's 00:21:34.509 --> 00:21:37.069 going to get mad at you for being too nice? Who's 00:21:37.069 --> 00:21:38.910 going to get mad at you for loving people too 00:21:38.910 --> 00:21:41.130 much? Or for being too patient? Or for being 00:21:41.130 --> 00:21:43.609 too kind? Or being too gentle? Who's going to 00:21:43.609 --> 00:21:45.509 get mad at you for changing the lives around 00:21:45.509 --> 00:21:48.690 you because you look like Jesus? There is no 00:21:48.690 --> 00:21:52.150 such law that will condemn you, that will persecute 00:21:52.150 --> 00:21:54.380 you. And I'm talking about just law. that will 00:21:54.380 --> 00:21:57.460 persecute you for living a life that exemplifies 00:21:57.460 --> 00:22:01.500 Christ. You'll never hear God say, all right, 00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:04.880 that's enough of that love stuff. That's enough 00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:07.839 of that patience. When you live by the Spirit, 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:11.619 you're already walking in harmony with the heart 00:22:11.619 --> 00:22:16.539 of God. But this freedom, this good fruit, it's 00:22:16.539 --> 00:22:19.660 not free or easy. And I don't want to make it 00:22:19.660 --> 00:22:21.460 sound like it's something that just happens with 00:22:21.460 --> 00:22:25.049 the snap of a finger. This is what Paul says 00:22:25.049 --> 00:22:28.849 in verse 24. And those who belong to Christ Jesus 00:22:28.849 --> 00:22:34.589 have crucified the flesh with its passions and 00:22:34.589 --> 00:22:37.190 desires. So you remember that long list of things 00:22:37.190 --> 00:22:40.609 that Paul says bad? Yeah, those have to die. 00:22:41.410 --> 00:22:46.809 You've got to get rid of them. The abuse, the 00:22:46.809 --> 00:22:51.549 envy, the jealousy, the immorality, all of those 00:22:51.549 --> 00:22:55.859 things. They got to go. Not just do they have 00:22:55.859 --> 00:23:00.880 to go, they have to be put to death. See, crucifixion, 00:23:00.880 --> 00:23:02.759 it wasn't this passive thing that just kind of 00:23:02.759 --> 00:23:05.519 happened, right? Nobody just pops up on a cross. 00:23:06.380 --> 00:23:10.319 It's a very painful and decisive thing. It's 00:23:10.319 --> 00:23:13.759 also a very final thing. When you go up on that 00:23:13.759 --> 00:23:17.640 cross, your fate is sealed. You're going to die. 00:23:20.099 --> 00:23:24.849 The same is true for are fleshly desires. If 00:23:24.849 --> 00:23:27.849 I'm going to be in Christ, if I'm going to let 00:23:27.849 --> 00:23:30.869 my life be led by the Spirit, then all of those 00:23:30.869 --> 00:23:33.730 things that I want, all of those things that 00:23:33.730 --> 00:23:36.329 I think I need, all of those things that the 00:23:36.329 --> 00:23:39.390 world tells me I should have for myself so that 00:23:39.390 --> 00:23:43.930 I can be happy, death. In fact, Dietrich Bonhoeffer 00:23:43.930 --> 00:23:48.549 says, when Christ calls a man, he bids him come 00:23:48.549 --> 00:23:55.910 and die. So, yes, again, it's a very complex 00:23:55.910 --> 00:23:59.230 thing. Being in Christ is an offering of full, 00:23:59.309 --> 00:24:02.930 abundant life, joy -filled life, peace -filled 00:24:02.930 --> 00:24:07.670 life, but it's also something that has to be 00:24:07.670 --> 00:24:10.630 worked on. And it's something that requires a 00:24:10.630 --> 00:24:14.990 sacrifice. But I think the trade -off is worth 00:24:14.990 --> 00:24:18.650 it. And I only think that because I've felt it 00:24:18.650 --> 00:24:21.529 in my life and I've seen it in some of your lives. 00:24:22.279 --> 00:24:25.299 And I've seen it in other lives. It is 100 % 00:24:25.299 --> 00:24:27.880 worth it. You cannot walk by the Spirit if you're 00:24:27.880 --> 00:24:30.660 still feeding the flesh. Again, they oppose each 00:24:30.660 --> 00:24:33.019 other. So every day, we have to take up our cross. 00:24:34.039 --> 00:24:36.740 We have to say, Lord, not my will, not what makes 00:24:36.740 --> 00:24:38.960 me happy, not what I want, not what I think is 00:24:38.960 --> 00:24:44.200 best for me, but yours, just as Christ did. If 00:24:44.200 --> 00:24:51.440 the King of the universe, if the Lord, can humble 00:24:51.440 --> 00:24:55.839 himself to die so that we could have a life with 00:24:55.839 --> 00:25:02.799 him, I can give up on my selfishness. I can give 00:25:02.799 --> 00:25:05.880 up on these temporary, momentary pleasures. I 00:25:05.880 --> 00:25:08.859 can give up on those things for the sake of the 00:25:08.859 --> 00:25:15.140 kingdom being here. We move along to verse 25, 00:25:15.240 --> 00:25:17.539 and Paul says, If we live by the Spirit, let 00:25:17.539 --> 00:25:21.579 us also keep in step. with the Spirit. The best 00:25:21.579 --> 00:25:23.740 way that I could think of to kind of illustrate 00:25:23.740 --> 00:25:25.559 that is I want you to think of a marching band. 00:25:26.680 --> 00:25:29.440 You can have the greatest musicians in the world 00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:33.900 and they can know the song so well and it can 00:25:33.900 --> 00:25:38.660 be so pretty. But if they're not able to walk 00:25:38.660 --> 00:25:42.240 in rhythm during their performance, it's going 00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:46.650 to be a disaster. It might sound nice. It might 00:25:46.650 --> 00:25:48.750 tickle the ears a little bit, but if you're watching 00:25:48.750 --> 00:25:54.789 it on the field, it looks awful. That's our life 00:25:54.789 --> 00:25:56.430 when we're not walking in step with the Spirit. 00:25:56.509 --> 00:25:59.170 If we're not walking in a rhythm that keeps us 00:25:59.170 --> 00:26:05.170 step for step with the Spirit, it's chaos. And 00:26:05.170 --> 00:26:11.269 that's how Paul closes with a challenge. In verse 00:26:11.269 --> 00:26:13.930 26, or this is how Paul closes with a challenge. 00:26:14.490 --> 00:26:17.950 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, 00:26:18.069 --> 00:26:22.470 envying one another. Because what can happen 00:26:22.470 --> 00:26:26.029 is we start feeling good about the way we're 00:26:26.029 --> 00:26:28.009 living. We start feeling good about what God 00:26:28.009 --> 00:26:30.230 has done in our lives and the progress that we've 00:26:30.230 --> 00:26:32.349 made and the change that we've made. And so what 00:26:32.349 --> 00:26:36.470 happens is we can kind of become cynical and 00:26:36.470 --> 00:26:39.710 we can be very condemning and we can come off 00:26:39.710 --> 00:26:43.190 as hypocritical and judgmental and kind of up 00:26:43.190 --> 00:26:46.990 here. You know those people. Maybe you are one 00:26:46.990 --> 00:26:51.190 of them. I've been there. And Paul says, don't 00:26:51.190 --> 00:26:55.049 do that. Don't allow the transformation that 00:26:55.049 --> 00:26:56.730 the Spirit has done in you because you didn't 00:26:56.730 --> 00:27:00.309 do anything. The Spirit did it. So don't allow 00:27:00.309 --> 00:27:03.210 that to get you to be puffed up. Don't allow 00:27:03.210 --> 00:27:05.750 that to let you think you're better than others. 00:27:05.809 --> 00:27:09.299 But he also says, don't be jealous. Don't allow 00:27:09.299 --> 00:27:10.920 the work that the Spirit is doing in somebody 00:27:10.920 --> 00:27:13.380 else's life to cause you to be envious of them. 00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:16.980 See, both sides are bad. Really, what we need 00:27:16.980 --> 00:27:20.259 to do is just kind of walk and be okay with where 00:27:20.259 --> 00:27:22.740 the Spirit is leading us and what the Spirit 00:27:22.740 --> 00:27:25.480 is doing in our lives. And when the Spirit decides 00:27:25.480 --> 00:27:29.279 that we need to be really cool and really good 00:27:29.279 --> 00:27:33.640 and really just boldly awesome Jesus -like examples, 00:27:33.740 --> 00:27:37.319 awesome. But if the Spirit needs us to look a 00:27:37.319 --> 00:27:39.339 little different for a minute, or if it just 00:27:39.339 --> 00:27:42.220 hasn't gotten there with us yet, that's okay. 00:27:43.079 --> 00:27:46.200 We just pray that God continues to chip away 00:27:46.200 --> 00:27:49.640 at that old self and bring something pretty out 00:27:49.640 --> 00:27:56.160 of this ugly stone. The Spirit produces humility, 00:27:56.380 --> 00:28:00.980 not competition. It was never supposed to be 00:28:00.980 --> 00:28:03.460 about... What I look like versus what you look 00:28:03.460 --> 00:28:05.279 like. And what you look like versus what they 00:28:05.279 --> 00:28:09.019 look like. The Spirit is supposed to produce 00:28:09.019 --> 00:28:13.359 unity, not rivalry. And that's what a Spirit 00:28:13.359 --> 00:28:15.779 -filled life looks like. It's a life that looks 00:28:15.779 --> 00:28:19.259 like someone freed to serve. A life that looks 00:28:19.259 --> 00:28:22.440 like someone who loves and gives. And a life 00:28:22.440 --> 00:28:24.900 that looks like a joy that is not dependent on 00:28:24.900 --> 00:28:28.450 these current circumstances. And when the world 00:28:28.450 --> 00:28:30.650 sees us, they shouldn't see a people that are 00:28:30.650 --> 00:28:32.670 just kind of hanging on and barely surviving 00:28:32.670 --> 00:28:36.130 temptation or stuck in a rule keeping life. They 00:28:36.130 --> 00:28:38.609 should see a people that are so obviously free 00:28:38.609 --> 00:28:42.089 that they want some of that. They should see 00:28:42.089 --> 00:28:44.150 a people that are free from sin and they want 00:28:44.150 --> 00:28:46.309 to know how can I be free from sin? They should 00:28:46.309 --> 00:28:48.430 see a people that are free from pride and wonder 00:28:48.430 --> 00:28:50.789 how can I be like that? Because my pride has 00:28:50.789 --> 00:28:53.529 led to my fall so many times. They should see 00:28:53.529 --> 00:28:56.329 a people that are free to live and to love and 00:28:56.329 --> 00:29:01.720 look like. Jesus. Jesus was attractive. There 00:29:01.720 --> 00:29:04.920 is a reason thousands of people in the midst 00:29:04.920 --> 00:29:07.960 of all the danger followed Jesus. The early church 00:29:07.960 --> 00:29:10.339 was attractive. There is a reason people would 00:29:10.339 --> 00:29:13.299 be willing to die to be a part of this movement 00:29:13.299 --> 00:29:16.319 of following Christ, a man who was killed publicly. 00:29:16.640 --> 00:29:18.839 Why would you follow someone who got killed? 00:29:19.180 --> 00:29:22.920 That just sounds dumb. But Jesus was attractive. 00:29:23.869 --> 00:29:25.990 And when the church and the people that make 00:29:25.990 --> 00:29:28.750 the church up look like Jesus, we'll be attractive. 00:29:29.009 --> 00:29:31.829 And people will want some of this good tasting 00:29:31.829 --> 00:29:38.769 fruit. I want you to think about a glove. You 00:29:38.769 --> 00:29:41.190 put a glove on a table, it doesn't move, it has 00:29:41.190 --> 00:29:45.569 no function, it's lifeless. But when you put 00:29:45.569 --> 00:29:49.289 your hand in the glove, and the hand fills it, 00:29:49.690 --> 00:29:53.670 well now the glove can move. It can function. 00:29:53.690 --> 00:29:57.630 It can do things. It has a life. Not because 00:29:57.630 --> 00:30:02.829 the glove has some mysterious thing about it. 00:30:03.170 --> 00:30:06.549 It's because of the hand. And the same is true 00:30:06.549 --> 00:30:11.490 when the Spirit lives in us. And when we let 00:30:11.490 --> 00:30:15.549 the Spirit take the reins. We only come alive 00:30:15.549 --> 00:30:20.680 when the Spirit is our guide. And that same Spirit 00:30:20.680 --> 00:30:23.819 that Paul wrote about then is here and available 00:30:23.819 --> 00:30:28.579 to us today. It's not something that went away. 00:30:29.700 --> 00:30:32.619 It may not look to us the same as it did in the 00:30:32.619 --> 00:30:36.980 first century. Maybe it does. But I know one 00:30:36.980 --> 00:30:42.680 thing that Scripture tells me is true. My life, 00:30:42.680 --> 00:30:45.460 looking like Jesus, is fully dependent on that 00:30:45.460 --> 00:30:50.599 Spirit. That same Holy Spirit. The one that is 00:30:50.599 --> 00:30:52.819 calling and has been calling for thousands of 00:30:52.819 --> 00:30:55.279 years. The same one that is convicting and has 00:30:55.279 --> 00:30:57.700 been convicting for thousands of years. The same 00:30:57.700 --> 00:31:01.819 one that is restoring life into dead bodies. 00:31:03.279 --> 00:31:07.740 That Spirit is still available to us today. So 00:31:07.740 --> 00:31:09.500 to the Christians in the room, maybe you've been 00:31:09.500 --> 00:31:13.339 set free and you've been... living a life in 00:31:13.339 --> 00:31:16.240 bondage. Maybe you just have used your freedom 00:31:16.240 --> 00:31:18.980 for yourself and you've abused this newfound 00:31:18.980 --> 00:31:21.079 freedom in God and it's leading to your demise. 00:31:21.279 --> 00:31:23.220 Maybe you've been letting the flesh call the 00:31:23.220 --> 00:31:26.759 shots for far too long. Today's your chance to 00:31:26.759 --> 00:31:29.319 realign your life, to get back in rhythm with 00:31:29.319 --> 00:31:31.339 the Spirit of God. And for the non -Christian 00:31:31.339 --> 00:31:33.500 in the room, if you've never received the gift 00:31:33.500 --> 00:31:35.140 of the Holy Spirit, if your life has not been 00:31:35.140 --> 00:31:38.000 transformed by the free gift of salvation and 00:31:38.000 --> 00:31:42.200 the gift of the Holy Spirit, You're living in 00:31:42.200 --> 00:31:46.779 a dead body. And the Spirit wants to live in 00:31:46.779 --> 00:31:51.019 you, to show you, to give you, to lead you to 00:31:51.019 --> 00:31:53.380 the abundant life that only comes from a life 00:31:53.380 --> 00:31:58.420 connected to the Spirit. Don't wait. Don't live 00:31:58.420 --> 00:32:01.299 in that dead body any longer. Don't live in that 00:32:01.299 --> 00:32:05.500 joyless life. Come to the Father who brings joy 00:32:05.500 --> 00:32:07.859 that is not dependent on earthly circumstances. 00:32:09.900 --> 00:32:14.460 Wherever you are today, I hope that you find 00:32:14.460 --> 00:32:16.819 yourself saying, I want to be connected to the 00:32:16.819 --> 00:32:20.960 Spirit. I want my life to be steered by the Spirit. 00:32:21.000 --> 00:32:24.000 Not this world, not myself, not those I like, 00:32:24.079 --> 00:32:27.579 not those I admire, but the Spirit and only the 00:32:27.579 --> 00:32:32.380 Spirit. Because that is the only way the world 00:32:32.380 --> 00:32:36.819 will see a good tasting fruit. that if they experience, 00:32:36.940 --> 00:32:40.400 will lead them to also wanting that good tasting 00:32:40.400 --> 00:32:43.460 fruit. We have been freed not to live however 00:32:43.460 --> 00:32:47.319 we want, not to do stupid things that hurt us 00:32:47.319 --> 00:32:52.920 and kill us, but to fly lifted by the fresh wind 00:32:52.920 --> 00:32:56.920 of the Spirit. And that's the call today. If 00:32:56.920 --> 00:33:00.059 you need prayers, if you want to be filled, wherever 00:33:00.059 --> 00:33:03.839 you are, come now as we stand and as we sing.