2016.5.8 礼拝

2016.5.8 礼拝

240th Life Church Service 　2016.5.8 –

Galatians 5:16-26: “Knowing and Seeking the Fruit of the Spirit”
Main passage: 1 Corinthians 14:12 “Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.”

Q. What are the characteristics of a matured Christian?
John 13:35 “By this all we know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Love and Faithfulness to Jesus Christ. Cannot mature as a Christian by oneself, but need involvement other people to practice loving one another.

Acts 2:46-47 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Love and Faithfulness to one’s Church. Love of one another was practiced, building unity and church.

Q. What makes us a matured Christian? Bible says to love one another and get together and praise God.
“Paul’s sincere prayer for new believers”

Ephesians 3:16-20 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

We are not perfect as Christ is although we would want to be, therefore, we want to be truly faithful. Therefore, at times or at much of the time, we fail. Failure is inevitable, but more important is to acknowledge failure rather than to neglect or ignore.

➀　Follow the Spirit
Galatians 516 “So I say, live by the Spirit” (NIV)
Galatians 5:25 “If we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.” (HCSB)

If we love Jesus, we will live according to his words. Christ who lives in us guides us in our daily life. It could from reading the Bible passage, memory of a passage or by remembering a Bible verse(s). Whatever the case may, let the Spirit be in control.

➁ Check the fruits of the Spirit to see we are in the right path.
[Fruits of the flesh] Galatians 5:19-21 19 ・・・adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, outbursts, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like・・・
[Fruits of the Spirit]

Galatians 5:22-23 22・・・love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control・・・
We must check whether we bear the fruits of the flesh or the fruits of the Spirit.

➂ It is the Church where we see the fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:25-26 25 “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (NIV)

We do not bear fruit alone but need to be connected. We can be connected and be involved in church.
John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. If a remains in me and I in him, he will. bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (NIV)

We are called by Jesus to have faith in him. If led by the Spirit, we will obey his words and love one another. We cannot love one another without being involved. As we mature, we bear fruits and teach others to love Christ.