Cross Church Winnipeg Sermon Podcast

We continue in our series in Psalm 128. How joyful are those who fear the Lord—all who follow his ways! You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be! Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home. Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table. That is the Lord’s blessing for those who fear him. May the Lord continually bless you from Zion. May you see Jerusalem prosper as long as you live. May you live to enjoy your grandchildren. May Israel have peace! This morning we are focusing on verses one and two: How joyful are those who fear the Lord—all who follow his ways! You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be!

Today we begin a series for the month of June on Psalm 128. The Psalmist teaches us what it means to have a Christian family. Our reading then is all of Psalm 128. How joyful are those who fear the Lord—all who follow his ways! You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be! Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home. Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table. That is the Lord’s blessing for those who fear him. May the Lord continually bless you from Zion. May you see Jerusalem prosper as long as you live. May you live to enjoy your grandchildren. May Israel have peace! This morning we are focusing on verse one of this inspiring Psalm: 1 How joyful are those who fear the Lord—all who follow his ways!

Our scripture reading for this morning is from Luke 13:31-35. At that time some Pharisees said to him, “Get away from here if you want to live! Herod Antipas wants to kill you!” Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and the third day I will accomplish my purpose. Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem! “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned. And you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

Our scripture reading for this morning is from Luke 13:28-30 “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out. And people will come from all over the world—from east and west, north and south—to take their places in the Kingdom of God.  And note this: Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then.”  Another way to say this is as follows, Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.

Our scripture reading for this morning is from Luke 13:22-27. Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He replied, “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.’

This morning we are studying the parable of the yeast. Jesus wants us to understand the power of the Gospel at work through His disciples, which includes you and me. Within forty years from the time Jesus spoke this parable, the kingdom of God had penetrated every area in the Roman Empire. Today, nearly one third of the world considers itself Christian. He started with a handful of people, and they “leavened the whole lump”. Our scripture reading for this morning is the Parable of the yeast from Luke 13:20-21. Jesus also asked, “What else is the Kingdom of God like? It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

This morning we are studying the parable of the mustard seed. The mustard seed was one of the very smallest of seeds that could be found in the Holy Land. Jesus said: “Look what you can get from this tiny little seed. You put it in the ground, you water it, and you wait. Soon, a little sprout comes up out of the earth, and it begins to grow until it becomes not just a bush but a tree, ten feet, eleven feet, up to fifteen feet tall, with a strong canopy. And it is dense in its vegetation—so dense that birds look for it as a place to find rest or even build their nests. All of that from the tiniest of seeds.” Our brief scripture reading for this morning is the Parable of the Mustard Seed from Luke 13:18-19. Then Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches.”

Our scripture reading for this morning is from Luke 13:10-17. One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God! But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. “There are six days of the week for working,” he said to the crowd. “Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.” But the Lord replied, “You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water? This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?” This shamed his enemies, but all the people rejoiced at the wonderful things he did.

Our scripture reading for this morning is from Luke 13:6-9. Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’ The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’”

Our scripture reading for this morning is from Luke 13:1-5. About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”

Our scripture reading for this morning is from Mark 16: 1-16. Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside. When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.” The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened. After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her. Afterward he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them. Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead. And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned."

Our scripture reading for this morning is from Mark 11:1-11. As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, ‘What are you doing?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it soon.’” The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it. Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!”  So, Jesus came to Jerusalem and went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon. Then he returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples.

Our Lord Jesus teaches us that the last judgment is coming and that it is critical that we not wait until the Day of Judgment to come to Him. If you wait, it will be too late. Jesus Christ is the judge of all the earth. He will hand you over to judgment, and you won't get out until you pay the last cent, which means you won't ever get out, because you are a debtor who is unable to pay your debts. This is a difficult teaching. It’s very uncomfortable. But we understand that Christ divides between those who put their trust in Him, and those who reject Him. Have you had your spiritual debts forgiven? This is your timely warning to get right with God. Our scripture reading for this morning is from Luke 12:57-59. “Why can’t you decide for yourselves what is right? When you are on the way to court with your accuser, try to settle the matter before you get there. Otherwise, your accuser may drag you before the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, who will throw you into prison. And if that happens, you won’t be free again until you have paid the very last penny.”

This morning, Our Lord teaches us an important lesson about spiritual discernment. It is surprising how many people see themselves as wise and even discerning, but in fact their wisdom is merely of human origin. Christians must learn to see and understand with spiritual sight. The Apostle Paul said to the Corinthian Christians, we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. And to the Ephesian Christians he says, I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. Our scripture reading for this morning is from Luke 12:54-56. Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, “When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, ‘Here comes a shower.’ And you are right.  When the south wind blows, you say, ‘Today will be a scorcher.’ And it is. You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the present times.

What Jesus says to crowds is always profound and wonderful, but sometimes what He says is shocking. What we are studying today is quite shocking, especially as you realize that this is the Prince of Peace speaking. Our scripture reading for this morning is from Luke 12:49-53. “I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against. ‘Father will be divided against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’”

Do you remember the vicious Saul? He seems to have the upper hand. Persecuting. Spewing hatred. Imprisoning believers. But then Jesus appears to him. As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me? “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”* The murderous Saul is converted and becomes Paul the mighty Apostle. God reveals Himself as Sovereign, merciful and full of grace. Paul’s story gives us all hope.

Mysterious and thrilling things happen in the days of the early Church. Philip, one of the men appointed along with Stephen to care for the needy widows in Jerusalem, is forced out of the city. As so often happens, after the appointment, God has other plans. Philip is called to preach the Gospel to an Ethiopian Eunuch, servant of his Queen, who is returning home after worshipping God in Jerusalem. He just happens to be reading Isaiah 53 out loud on his journey when Philip asks if he knows what he is reading. Philip has the privilege of leading the man to Christ and baptizes him right on the spot. Philip goes down in history as Philip the Evangelist. And this Ethiopian takes the Gospel with him back to Ethiopia. Ethiopia becomes the first country to adopt Christianity as its national religion.

After Stephen was stoned to death, Luke records the following: Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. It looks like Saul may have the final word about the future of the Church. Luke says, *A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.* However, the Church is not stopped, rather, the spread of the Gospel is accelerated all over Samaria! Philip, one of the men appointed along with Stephen to care for the needy widows in Jerusalem, is used by God to preach throughout Samaria. Also, Peter and John stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News.

The blind beggar could not be shaken. He had encountered God in Jesus Christ. John records what happened next: ***24** So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.” **25** “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” **26** “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?” **27** “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”*

Pastor Andrew Sapozhnykov My Story - Part 3: Ignore the Doubters How easy it is to be overcome by doubt and especially by doubters. Who hasn’t faced this? 17 Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?” The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.” 18 The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. 19 They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?” 20 His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, 21 but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.”

What do you do when Jesus saves you? You boldly share your testimony. Listen to what John records about the man born blind: "His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!” They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?” He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!” The boldness of this blind beggar is inspires us all to tell what Jesus has done for us, for he kept saying, “Yes, I am the one!”

*As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. **2** “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” **3** “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God (WORKS OF GOD) could be seen in him. **6** Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. **7** He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.” So the man went and washed and came back seeing!* For this man, his blindness led to his salvation. He would say, “Thank God I was born blind!”

But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. 3 And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility.  4 Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.” 7 So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too. All of this was made possible because of the appointment of the first Elders and deacons. Deacon means servant. When you serve at Church, you help advance the Kingdom of God.

Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed. The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them, “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!” When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end. Then someone arrived with startling news: “The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple, teaching the people!”

This is one of the most frightening passages in scripture. We read in Acts 5, *But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!” As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. Sadly, his wife Sapphira went along with her husband’s deception, Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.

The leaders in Jerusalem freed Peter and John after their arrest, 23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. 24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

Whenever we preach the Gospel, we will face severe and angry opposition. While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning. But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000. The leadership tried to stop the disciples, but the Holy Spirit emboldened Peter and John said, *“Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” The council then threatened them further, but they finally let them go because they didn’t know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God for this miraculous sign—the healing of a man who had been lame for more than forty years.

A crippled beggar cried out to Peter for help. But Peter had neither silver nor gold. What he was far greater. He offered the man Jesus. Instantly the man was healed. 11 A crowd rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John. 12 Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness? 13 For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of all our ancestors—who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. For God said to Abraham, ‘Through your descendants[f] all the families on earth will be blessed.’ 26 When God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways.”

The Firstfruits of the Gospel were 3,000 converted men and women on the Day of Pentecost. The first thing they did was form a community of Believers. We call this community, “The Church.” Over the years, Cross Church has tried to imitate the first Church. Here is what they did: ***42** And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. **44** And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. **46** And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, **47** praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.*

The transforming power of Jesus Christ is truly on display in the lives of those who have traded self-ishness for self-lessness. In 1 Peter chapter 4 (10-11) we read "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms." Peter is telling all followers of Christ to recognize that we are speaking and serving others on behalf of God, we are Christ's ambassadors. What a privilege! And it is God Himself thru the power of the Holy Spirit that gives the ability and strength for us to do so. What a blessing! When we direct any glory towards God instead of accepting it for ourselves, we move in the complete opposite direction from those who's M.O. is simply "what's in it for me?". That difference in our lives causes people to examine the life-changing nature of a relationship with Jesus Christ. It validates our faith to those around us. In Romans 12:1 Paul says, “Dear brothers and sisters,[[a](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%2012%3A1&version=CEV,ESV,TLB,NLT#fen-NLT-28208a)] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him." Paul is so passionate in his expression to those who have been saved by the blood of Jesus. He knows it only makes sense to honor Him by serving others because of what He has done for us! It’s only reasonable that we would obediently serve others with gratitude to the One, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who has provided the greatest service of all: salvation from our sin, a life of partnership with Christ and and the blessed gift of Eternal Life with Him!

There is no doubt that poverty is both widespread and devastating, especially when we understand the level of poverty around the world compared to what we are blessed with here in Canada. As Christians, we cannot be indifferent toward those in need, because God's expectations for us in regard to taking care of the poor are seen throughout the Bible. Listen to God’s words about the goodness of King Josiah in Jeremiah 22:16: “He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me, declares the LORD?” Moses also instructed the Israelites to treat the poor and needy well: “Give generously to [them] and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this, the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to” (Deuteronomy 15:10). The heart of God is perfectly captured in Proverbs 14:31: Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy, he truly honors The Lord God.

The Day of Pentecost reflects the Jewish celebration of Shavuot, meaning "weeks". Fifty days after Passover, the Jewish population would come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Weeks, which was the season of the wheat harvest, and a time of giving thanks for the harvest of God’s provision. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost also marked the first harvest of souls. After Peter preached his first Gospel sermon, Luke records the following in Acts 2:41: Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. And so today marks a good day to give thanks for the Holy Spirit and for the harvest of souls.

Peter tells us of the coming of the Holy Spirit, quoting Joel 2:28-32. Peter says in Acts 2:17-21 reads, ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. 18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike—and they will prophesy. 19 And I will cause wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below—blood and fire and clouds of smoke. 20 The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives. 21 But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ This is what happened on the day of Pentecost!

Acts 1:14-15 reads*, “They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. **15** During this time, when about 120 believers were together in one place.”* These first Believers were known for their prayer. But it must be noted that this prayer was not just private prayer. We notice several things about these praying disciples of Christ. This prayer was constant. This prayer was *with* the other Believers. This prayer was offered in *unity* among the Believers. And finally, this prayer was in response to Jesus’s instructions to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit that was to be poured out on all Believers. Prayer is critical to the life and advancement of the Church.

After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the disciples thought that Jesus was about to free Israel and establish His Kingdom in Israel. But Christ had other plans. Before Christ ascended into Heaven—which is God’s Holy Presence—He gave what is known as the Great Commission, a variation of Matthew 28:16-20. Acts 1:7-8 reads, He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” We have work to do until Christ returns.

The birth of the Church is known as the Day of Pentecost. It is 50 days after the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Jesus anticipated this important date and gave clear instructions to His disciples about what they must do. Acts 2:4-5 reads, “Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, ‘Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’” The disciples do not know what is about to happen, but they will discover that followers of Christ must be empowered by the Holy Spirit in order to do the work that Christ commands us to do.

The last characteristic listed in Galatians 5:22-23 as a fruit of the Spirit is self-control. The fruit of the Spirit is the change in our character that happens because of the Holy Spirit’s work in us. We do not become a Christian on our own, and we cannot grow on our own. Paul tells us in Philippians that "it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Every good thing we do is the fruit of the Spirit’s work in our lives. Self-control or “temperance” in the KJV, is, of course, the ability to control oneself. It involves moderation, constraint, and the ability to say “no” to our evil desires and carnal lusts. One of the proofs of God’s working in our lives is the ability to control our thoughts, words, and actions. It’s not that we are just naturally weak-willed, but rather our fallen nature is under the influence of sin.

The Holy Spirit works in us to be more like Christ, and part of the Fruit of the Spirit, or results, of that work, is gentleness. Gentleness, also translated “meekness,” does not mean weakness. Rather, it involves humility and thankfulness toward God, and polite, restrained behavior toward others. The opposites of gentleness are anger, a desire for revenge, and self-aggrandizement. It takes a strong person to be truly gentle. Jesus gave us the perfect picture of gentleness: “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey,” and now He offers us His gentleness as a gift. If we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, we will be filled with the fruit of gentleness.

The Fruit of the Spirit - Part 7: Faithfulness The Faithfulness in the fruit list can be described as steadfastness, constancy, or allegiance; it is carefulness in keeping what we are entrusted with; it is the conviction that the Scriptures accurately reflect reality. Biblical faithfulness requires belief in what the Bible says about God: His existence, His works, and His character. Faithfulness is the result of the Spirit working in us. But the Spirit is also our seal of faithfulness. He is our witness to God’s promise that if we accept the truth about God, He will save us. Faithfulness is believing that God is Who He says He is and continuing in that belief despite the vagaries of life. Functionally, that means we trust what God says in the Bible, and do what he says! This means that we do not necessarily believe what the world, or our own eyes, tell us.

The Fruit of the Spirit - Part 5: Kindness The fifth fruit in Paul’s list is kindness. In the King James Version, kindness is called “gentleness.” The best way to understand this is by looking at the One who is perfect kindness, namely, Our Father in Heaven. Kindness is the characteristic that led God to provide salvation for us. Kindness leads God to give us green pastures, quiet waters, and the restoration of our souls when we’re weary. God’s tender care makes Him want to gather us under His wings, to protect us and keep us close to Him. And when the Spirit works in us, the resulting character is of one allowing the Holy Spirit to develop maturity in their life. The Greek word for “kindness” means “benignity, tender concern, uprightness.” It is the kindness of heart and kindness in action.

The Patience in Galatians 5:22 literally means “long temper,” in the sense of “the ability to hold one’s temper for a long time.” The King James Version translates it as “long-suffering.” A patient person is able to endure much pain and suffering without complaining. A patient person is slow to anger as he waits for God to provide comfort and punish wrongdoing. Since it is a Fruit of the Spirit, we can only possess patience through the power and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. James urges believers to be patient and not to complain as we wait for Jesus to return. James holds up the prophets as models of patience. The opposite of patience is agitation, discouragement, and a desire for revenge. God does not want His children to live in agitation but in peace.

We are born at war. At birth, our sinful nature has already declared war on God and His truth. Our heart’s desire is to be separated from Him, and if we persist in this desire until death, He will give us what we want. In Romans 12:8, Paul exhorts, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." This Spirit produces the fruit of peace in us as we yield our will to His leading and our actions to His Word. Only God can create peace in our lives through the work of the Holy Spirit. *And* the peace mentioned in Galatians 5 is the peace of a harmonious relationship with God.

The "Fruit of the Spirit" is what happens when the Holy Spirit indwells a believer. The "fruit" is the product of the Holy Spirit’s cultivation of character in a heart. The second characteristic listed is joy. Joy expresses God’s kingdom—His influence on earth. The Spirit’s production of joy can manifest in several different ways: the joy of deliverance, the joy of salvation, the joy of spiritual maturity, and the joy of God’s presence. The Greek word for joy is *chara* and is closely related to *[charis], which means “grace” or “a gift.” Chara is the normal response to *charis*—we have joy because of God’s grace. The next step in the progression is to allow our joy to become an action as we express it.

Being a good son or daughter does not come easy to children. Our sinful, selfish nature needs training and instruction. Therefore, we are called to imitate Christ in all things; this is what it means to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus. With this in mind, Paul tells children, And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” Children are prepared for Christian adulthood through learning to respectfully submit to their parents.

Being a good father does not come easy to men. Our sinful, selfish nature needs training and instruction, because by nature we can be impatient, angry, and even vengeful. We are called to imitate Christ in all things; this is what it means to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus. With this in mind, Paul tells us 21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. It’s interesting to note that Paul does not give the same instruction to mothers. As fathers exercise their authority and give leadership in their homes, they are to be mindful that their authority is to be used lovingly and gently, but firmly, just as God is loving and firm with each of us.

Being a good wife does not come easy to women any more than being a good husband comes easy to men. Our sinful, selfish nature needs training and instruction. We are called to imitate Christ in all things; this is what it means to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus. With this in mind, Paul tells us, 21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. **33** So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Paul is assuming that the man in this marriage is the chief servant in his home, faithfully laying down his life for his wife and children, just as Christ did for the church.

Being a good husband does not come easy to men. Our sinful, selfish nature needs training and instruction. We are called to imitate Christ in all things; this is what it means to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus. With this in mind, Paul tells us, "And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." It is always easy to respect anyone who is utterly unselfish and totally devoted to serving others.

Let’s be blunt, the Apostle Paul could not have done his great work without the generosity of Christians. He closes this letter with these words: Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty. As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Gospel and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.  At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen.