FARMING FOR THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT

FARMING FOR THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT

GALATIANS 5: 22

 

Intro:

                I have shared with you all some of the stories from my childhood growing up on a farm.  I’ve shared with you the accounts of walking mile after mile in the hayfields with my Dad, brother, grandfather, and uncle.  There are other tales to be told concerning cows, chickens, pigs, goats, tractors, tillers, and trucks.  However, today’s illustration will provide you yet another glimpse into life on a farm.

                One of the best parts of living life out in the middle of nowhere is the experience of eating garden-grown food.  I know that some of you are saying to yourself, you don’t have to live in the middle of nowhere to eat garden food; you can grow a garden right here in the city.  No, not the way my family did it.  When I say garden, I’ve talking about a major spread of food.  There were rows and rows of corn, okra, lima beans, green beans, pinto beans, shelly beans, green peppers, red peppers, banana peppers, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and onions.  We would plant it, grow it, harvest it, and best of all, we would eat it.

                It is the harvesting portion of the program that caused me a great deal of pain and anguish.  I couldn’t stand going out there day after day in the summer, picking, hoeing, weeding, checking, tilling and toting.  I wanted to eat it, but I couldn’t stand the prep work that went into getting it on the table. 

                On one memorable day, I was picking green beans, and I knew that when I finished I still had to break the beans, pick the corn, and dispose of the tomatoes that had gone bad.  I was around 8 or 9 on this particular day.  Mom was over on the other side of the garden, and my brother was in the row with me.  I had finally had enough, so I stood up, and told my mom: “Mom I’m tired of picking beans.  Let’s just get rid of the garden and go shopping at Kroger instead.”  In short, I loved the food, I hated the work.

                How many of us are like that when it comes to our spiritual lives today.  We love the rewards of being a Christian, but often we find that we don’t like the responsibilities that go along with being a child of God. 

                In Galatians 5: 22-23, we find the Bible calling for farmers.  In this passage, those who are looking to pick fruit are welcome.  Here we find Paul extoling the Fruits of the Spirit, and naming them one-by-one.  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” 

                On June 17-21 we will be conducting our VBS here at the building.  Our topic for this year is designed to educate the young people about the need to cultivate the Fruits of the Spirit in their lives.  This is a lesson which we as adults would do well to remember as well.  This morning, I want to help you to see the importance of the Fruits of the Spirit in your life, by showing you that Christ himself lived his life with these characteristics plain for all to see.

                I would encourage you to remember as we go through this lesson that farming isn’t easy.  Going out and working to keep up a garden is hard work.  Cultivating these Fruits of the Spirit in your Christian life isn’t always going to be easy.  However, as with a physical garden, the rewards are well worth the work.

 

I.                    LOVE, JOY, PEACE (IN HIS BIRTH)

 

A.      There are several examples of love given in the life of Christ, but for our purposes, I want us to consider one of the more impressive illustrations which actually came before he was even born.

1.       We openly acknowledge the beauty of the world in which we live, but it obviously doesn’t hold a candle to streets of gold, walls of jewel, and a light that is the presents of God himself to aluminate all things.

2.        John 6: 38 however, despite this awesome place, Christ reveals to us that he “CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN.”

3.       Acts 1: 8 as in our own lives, love will sometimes require us to leave our comfort zones, and step out for the benefit of others.

B.      Jesus also cultivated and brought joy to the world in his birth.

1.       Luke 2: 10 at the birth of Christ, angels appeared to announce the joyous news of a savior’s birth!

2.        Simply by coming into the world, Jesus brought joy into the lives of mankind.

3.        Romans 10: 15 as his disciples, we should also bring “glad tidings of good things.” 

4.        We should carry the joyous news of a risen savior!

C.      Finally, in his birth, we see that Christ practiced peace.

1.       Isaiah 9: 6 hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah reveals to us that an essential part of the nature of Christ would be that he would be the “PRINCE OF PEACE.”

2.        Simply put, Jesus would be one who knew peace, and shared it with those around him.

3.        Matthew 5: 9 according to his Sermon on the Mount, those who will be called the children of God, must also be known as a “PEACEMAKER.”

4.        Let’s make sure that we are applying the fruit of peace to our lives.

 

II.                  PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS (In his LIFE)

 

A.      During the earthly life of the savior, he displayed all of the traits which we are examining this morning, yet none more so than the fruit of patience.

1.       1Timothy 1: 16 Paul reveals to Timothy that in showing mercy to himself, (the chief among all sinners); Christ had expressed his patience for all to see.

2.        The patience which Christ displayed wasn’t just for Paul however, it continues on today for every Christian who names his name, then falls along the way, and must be helped to their feet once again.

3.        1Thessalonians 5: 14 as farmers in the fruit field of the Lord we should also be purveyors of the fruit of patience to all men.

4.        Hard though it is to remain patient on our walk through life, this is exactly what this particular fruit calls for us to do.

B.      Secondly, without question Christ showed kindness while here on this earth.

1.       Luke 5: 12 as Christ was passing by a man with leprosy, the man stated that Christ could heal him if he was willing.

2.        Luke 5: 13 the kindness of Christ can be seen in the way in which he replied “I am willing.”

3.        You see, kindness is not the act itself, but the willingness and the action to effect positive change in someone else’s life.

4.        1Peter 1: 7 in Christian parliaments, it is the choice to resolve to help a brother or sister in whatever way we can.

C.      Finally, during the course of his life, Christ was fundamentally and foundationally filled with goodness.

1.       I came across a definition for the word goodness as it is used in the Bible.

2.       Goodness involves expected function.

3.       Matthew 25: 21 the servant with the talents was expected to multiply those talents, and because he did, he was called a “good and faithful servant.”

4.        Matthew 5: 16 as Christians, our purpose is to let our light shine before men that they may see our good works, and glorify our father which is in Heaven.

5.        Are you displaying both goodness and light in your life today?

 

III.                FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL (In his DEATH)

 

1.       We would be remiss if we didn’t note the beautiful fruit of the savior in his final hours, not the least of which was his faithfulness.

1.       John 19: 30 as he hung upon the cross, with his final breath he said: “It is finished.”

2.        This reveals to us, and reminds us, of the central fact that Christ remained faithful to God’s plan right to the very end.

3.        Revelation 2: 10 today, he calls for those who are his true followers to do the same.

B. Secondly, we can also see his gentle nature in his death on the cross.

1. Matthew 11: 29 Christ had already informed his disciples as well as you and me today that he was indeed gentle.

2. When we consider the treatment given to the Son of God during his horrible ordeal, we can only deduce that he was indeed gentle considering the way in which he never raised either his hand or his voice against his accusers.

3.  2Timothy 2: 24 I love the way in which Paul encourages us to be gentle not just to our families, friends and associates, but to “all.”

C. Finally, in his death Christ demonstrated for us the fruit of self-control.

1. Matthew 26: 53 note the self-control of the savior as he stood in the garden knowing that he COULD call for heavenly assistance.

2. Matthew 26: 39 instead, we are well aware of the fact that he had already obtained all the assistance he would need for the night to come.

3. Ephesians 4: 26 when it comes to you and I, the issue with which we most commonly struggle is anger, yet Paul says we can be angry, but we shouldn’t sin.

4. In order for us to accomplish this task, we must partake of the fruit of self-control.