1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,560 Going to go ahead and continue our sermon series in the summer looking 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:06,080 at spiritual strength, spiritual growth. 3 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:09,120 And we're going to pick up in Galatians chapter 5. 4 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:14,400 So far in this study, we've looked at various passages. 5 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:19,280 We looked at Romans chapter 8 and the true definition of what spiritual 6 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:19,760 growth is. 7 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:23,640 And what we came to the conclusion of is that spiritual growth 8 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:25,040 is conformity to Christ. 9 00:00:25,690 --> 00:00:28,170 Spiritual growth is growing more and more like him. 10 00:00:28,170 --> 00:00:31,050 And the Bible speaks of that in many different occasions. 11 00:00:31,050 --> 00:00:35,130 But a really great succinct definition of that is found in Romans 12 00:00:35,130 --> 00:00:35,690 chapter eight. 13 00:00:35,690 --> 00:00:40,330 And then we also looked at Second Peter chapter one, looking 14 00:00:40,330 --> 00:00:42,010 at after faith. 15 00:00:42,010 --> 00:00:43,850 What are we supposed to add to our life there? 16 00:00:43,850 --> 00:00:47,930 There is that directive of Scripture that we are called to grow 17 00:00:48,250 --> 00:00:53,930 and to add to our life various elements of character as we mirror 18 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:55,120 after Christ. 19 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:57,480 And then we looked at Ephesians, chapter 4. 20 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,600 Ephesians, chapter 4 spoke of walking worthy. 21 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,040 Okay, so walking a certain way of the vocation of the Job in which 22 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:04,600 we're called. 23 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:08,880 Now, here in Galatians chapter five, we're going to see what it 24 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:10,760 means to walk in the Spirit. 25 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,360 So we're called to walk worthy of the vocation. 26 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:16,040 And so what does it mean to walk worthy? 27 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:17,480 Well, it means to walk in the Spirit. 28 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,520 A lot of times we think that spiritual growth is performative. 29 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,420 Well, I've got to do this, this, and this, and then I'm spiritually 30 00:01:24,420 --> 00:01:24,900 growing. 31 00:01:25,140 --> 00:01:26,500 But really it's the other way around. 32 00:01:26,500 --> 00:01:28,900 We grow spiritually and we do these things. 33 00:01:29,380 --> 00:01:32,060 And a lot of times we think that if we can just fake it till 34 00:01:32,060 --> 00:01:33,940 we make it, eventually we'll spiritually grow. 35 00:01:34,340 --> 00:01:38,179 But really what we see is that God changes us from the inside out. 36 00:01:38,179 --> 00:01:41,180 And our walk starts with what's in our heart and what's guiding 37 00:01:41,180 --> 00:01:42,020 us in our life. 38 00:01:42,340 --> 00:01:47,780 So Galatians chapter 5, verse 16 gives us this contrast of walking 39 00:01:47,780 --> 00:01:50,830 in the Spirit, walking or walking in the flesh. 40 00:01:51,310 --> 00:01:55,590 It says in verse 16 of Galatians 5, this I say then, and 41 00:01:55,590 --> 00:02:00,070 this is Paul talking after all he's given in the book of Galatians. 42 00:02:00,070 --> 00:02:03,510 He's talked about our hope in Christ, the liberty, the freedom 43 00:02:03,510 --> 00:02:07,310 that we have in Jesus, the hope that we have in his grace, and 44 00:02:07,310 --> 00:02:08,590 the freedom that we have from the law. 45 00:02:08,590 --> 00:02:11,670 He says, after you've heard all of these things, this is what 46 00:02:11,670 --> 00:02:12,470 I'm going to tell you. 47 00:02:12,470 --> 00:02:15,390 He says this I say then, walk in the Spirit. 48 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:17,560 So we see that he's challenging us. 49 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:21,040 He's exhorting us to walk a certain way, and that is in the Spirit. 50 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:23,360 Now we're going to talk tonight about what walking in the 51 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:25,440 spirit is and what it looks like. 52 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:29,280 Then he says, if you walk in the spirit, ye shall not fulfill 53 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:30,240 the lust of the flesh. 54 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:32,720 So we see there are things that are diametrically different. 55 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:36,000 You don't walk in the spirit and in the flesh at the same time. 56 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:39,320 You either walk in the spirit or you're going to fulfill the lust 57 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:40,000 of the flesh. 58 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:41,160 Verse 17. 59 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:43,100 He says, what does flesh bring us? 60 00:02:43,180 --> 00:02:47,700 For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against 61 00:02:47,700 --> 00:02:48,140 the flesh. 62 00:02:48,140 --> 00:02:51,740 So he, he says here that the flesh and the spirit are fighting 63 00:02:51,740 --> 00:02:52,540 against each other. 64 00:02:53,340 --> 00:02:54,380 There's this battle. 65 00:02:54,380 --> 00:02:56,220 He talks about this in Romans chapter 7. 66 00:02:56,780 --> 00:02:59,180 There's other places in scripture that speak of this battle 67 00:02:59,180 --> 00:03:00,300 that's still happening. 68 00:03:00,300 --> 00:03:04,380 Even though we're free from the bondage of sin, even though we've 69 00:03:04,380 --> 00:03:07,500 been gifted the gift of grace, even though we have the hope of eternal 70 00:03:07,500 --> 00:03:10,190 life, there is still this battle that's happening. 71 00:03:10,270 --> 00:03:13,550 And he says they're fighting against each other and these are 72 00:03:13,550 --> 00:03:17,030 contrary to the one to the other, so that you cannot do the 73 00:03:17,030 --> 00:03:17,870 things that you would. 74 00:03:18,510 --> 00:03:20,750 So what he's saying here is that one of the things that holds 75 00:03:20,750 --> 00:03:23,630 us back from the spiritual growth that we desire in our life 76 00:03:23,630 --> 00:03:26,430 is the flesh, the, the feeding of the flesh. 77 00:03:27,470 --> 00:03:30,670 So sometimes what happens, and this is really what Paul is dealing 78 00:03:30,670 --> 00:03:31,150 with here. 79 00:03:31,150 --> 00:03:34,990 He's dealing with what we call people that are steeped in legalism. 80 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:38,640 Now that word gets thrown around a lot and we have to be careful 81 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:40,600 on using that word out of context. 82 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:43,880 Legalism isn't just people who have a lot of standards. 83 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:47,960 Legalism is trusting in something to give us salvation. 84 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,040 It's trusting in some kind of work that we do to give us salvation. 85 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:54,920 Now we know that we're trusting in Jesus's work for salvation, 86 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:56,280 so we have to trust in something. 87 00:03:56,600 --> 00:04:00,160 But what legalism is, is someone who is trusting some type 88 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:04,260 of man made system to bring them what God has promised us in 89 00:04:04,260 --> 00:04:04,860 his grace. 90 00:04:05,260 --> 00:04:08,740 So for the legalists, at the time of the book of Galatians, they 91 00:04:08,740 --> 00:04:11,420 were trusting in the law to bring them salvation. 92 00:04:11,420 --> 00:04:16,020 They thought that yes, God loves us, but we must perform to 93 00:04:16,020 --> 00:04:17,900 receive God's good favor. 94 00:04:18,300 --> 00:04:23,340 We must follow everything and then we can be good believers. 95 00:04:23,740 --> 00:04:26,820 But what Paul is dealing with here is that, hey, look, that's not 96 00:04:26,820 --> 00:04:29,740 the way to follow because none of us can follow the law perfectly. 97 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:32,120 And he's going to speak to that here in this passage. 98 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,080 But another thing that sometimes people that are steeped 99 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:37,920 in legalism will, will fall into is they think, well, now that 100 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,400 we have freedom and grace, does that mean we can do whatever 101 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:41,080 we want to do? 102 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:43,800 Does that mean that we can just offend the. 103 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:44,400 The Lord? 104 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,400 No, he's not saying that's the case, but what he is saying is that 105 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:50,680 the law actually does bring something and it brings bondage. 106 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:54,640 He says, but if you're led of the spirit, you're not under the 107 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:54,920 law. 108 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:57,360 And folks, I'm going to tell you here this evening, you do not 109 00:04:57,360 --> 00:04:58,520 want to be under the law. 110 00:04:58,980 --> 00:05:01,140 None of us can perform perfectly under the law. 111 00:05:01,300 --> 00:05:03,700 Some of us might be able to perform for a time. 112 00:05:04,020 --> 00:05:06,340 Some of us might be able to trick people around us. 113 00:05:06,420 --> 00:05:08,500 Some of us might be better than our neighbor. 114 00:05:08,580 --> 00:05:11,420 But at the end of the day, the Bible teaches of the fact that if 115 00:05:11,420 --> 00:05:14,100 you can't fulfill the law perfectly, you fall short completely. 116 00:05:14,819 --> 00:05:17,780 And so for all of us here this evening, none of us want to be under 117 00:05:17,780 --> 00:05:21,060 the law, specifically the Mosaic Law, but none of us want to 118 00:05:21,060 --> 00:05:22,780 be under the law of Middletown Baptist Church. 119 00:05:22,780 --> 00:05:26,380 None of us want to be subject to, to perfection when it comes to 120 00:05:26,380 --> 00:05:26,700 the law. 121 00:05:26,700 --> 00:05:28,940 So he says, if you're being led by the Spirit, you're not under 122 00:05:28,940 --> 00:05:29,740 the law anymore. 123 00:05:29,820 --> 00:05:31,100 You're under something else. 124 00:05:31,500 --> 00:05:35,300 The Bible speaks in Romans about how we're now under the grace 125 00:05:35,300 --> 00:05:35,980 of God. 126 00:05:36,460 --> 00:05:40,380 So he says, you are not under the law now, verse 19. 127 00:05:40,940 --> 00:05:43,500 He says, if you want to be part of the law, if you want to be 128 00:05:43,500 --> 00:05:47,860 under the law, if you want to perform yourself, this is actually 129 00:05:47,860 --> 00:05:49,340 what's going to be produced. 130 00:05:50,870 --> 00:05:53,110 So this doesn't really compute for us sometimes. 131 00:05:53,110 --> 00:05:56,510 But what it is saying is that if we try to perform in our life, 132 00:05:56,510 --> 00:06:00,190 if we try to be the ones that follow every little law, eventually 133 00:06:00,190 --> 00:06:01,910 what's going to happen is we're going to look to ourselves 134 00:06:01,910 --> 00:06:03,830 and think that we're pretty good, that we could perform. 135 00:06:04,150 --> 00:06:08,030 But he says this is actually the manifestation of trying to live 136 00:06:08,030 --> 00:06:08,790 in the flesh. 137 00:06:08,950 --> 00:06:13,030 He says the works of the flesh are manifest or shown, which are 138 00:06:13,030 --> 00:06:13,350 these. 139 00:06:14,550 --> 00:06:17,750 So if our life is characterized by any of these things 140 00:06:18,610 --> 00:06:20,850 in any way, we're walking in the flesh. 141 00:06:21,170 --> 00:06:24,130 If any decision that we make can be characterized by any of these 142 00:06:24,130 --> 00:06:26,250 things, then we're walking in the flesh. 143 00:06:26,250 --> 00:06:28,930 And so he talks here about some of these things, and he lists 144 00:06:29,010 --> 00:06:29,490 sins. 145 00:06:29,970 --> 00:06:31,370 He says here, adultery. 146 00:06:31,370 --> 00:06:32,490 Now, we all know what that is. 147 00:06:32,490 --> 00:06:34,810 And the Bible says that if that's something that's characterizing 148 00:06:34,810 --> 00:06:38,490 our life or even done one time in our life, we're walking in the 149 00:06:38,490 --> 00:06:38,850 flesh. 150 00:06:39,250 --> 00:06:40,610 Talks about fornication. 151 00:06:41,250 --> 00:06:44,010 That's a broader spectrum of that type of sin. 152 00:06:44,010 --> 00:06:45,090 And he says uncleanness. 153 00:06:45,490 --> 00:06:46,290 Lasciviousness. 154 00:06:46,290 --> 00:06:47,170 Lasciviousness. 155 00:06:47,170 --> 00:06:49,330 Another way that you could word that in our everyday language 156 00:06:49,490 --> 00:06:50,690 is sensuality. 157 00:06:51,330 --> 00:06:54,530 Someone who just lives according to their senses in every 158 00:06:54,530 --> 00:06:55,890 which way, really. 159 00:06:55,890 --> 00:06:59,890 Verse 19 speaks of sins that we commit with our bodies. 160 00:06:59,890 --> 00:07:03,450 And then he goes on to talk a little bit more about even some aspects 161 00:07:03,450 --> 00:07:04,690 of spiritual sin. 162 00:07:04,770 --> 00:07:06,930 He says in verse number 20, idolatry. 163 00:07:07,810 --> 00:07:11,050 Now a lot of times we think that idolatry is something that we're 164 00:07:11,050 --> 00:07:12,650 over in our society today. 165 00:07:12,650 --> 00:07:15,630 We say, well, you know what, in American society we don't have 166 00:07:15,630 --> 00:07:16,270 idols. 167 00:07:16,270 --> 00:07:19,910 That's people across the world that are building these little carved 168 00:07:19,910 --> 00:07:23,350 images or that was something for the Jews long ago when they would 169 00:07:23,350 --> 00:07:25,030 build these golden casts. 170 00:07:25,030 --> 00:07:28,670 But I'm going to tell you here this evening that idolatry is rampant 171 00:07:28,670 --> 00:07:29,390 in our country. 172 00:07:29,470 --> 00:07:30,190 You would say what? 173 00:07:30,190 --> 00:07:32,030 I haven't seen an idol today. 174 00:07:32,430 --> 00:07:34,950 Well, an idol is really something that we put before the 175 00:07:34,950 --> 00:07:35,310 Lord. 176 00:07:35,390 --> 00:07:37,470 It's something that we worship more than God. 177 00:07:37,470 --> 00:07:40,750 It's something that we attribute our love and worship to 178 00:07:40,750 --> 00:07:42,590 that is not supposed to receive it. 179 00:07:43,090 --> 00:07:45,730 An idol could be a hobby, it could be an activity. 180 00:07:45,810 --> 00:07:49,050 An idol could be something that we have in our life, a material 181 00:07:49,050 --> 00:07:52,210 thing that we look to for our hope that we worship in our life. 182 00:07:52,610 --> 00:07:55,370 And we might say, well I, I would never worship something like 183 00:07:55,370 --> 00:07:56,130 that in my life. 184 00:07:56,370 --> 00:07:59,210 Well, don't go by what we say, go by how we live. 185 00:07:59,210 --> 00:08:01,570 And some of us might not say that we're worshiping something, 186 00:08:01,730 --> 00:08:03,970 but by the way that we live our life, we're worshiping something 187 00:08:03,970 --> 00:08:05,810 that does not deserve our worship. 188 00:08:05,810 --> 00:08:07,610 There's only one who's worthy of our worship. 189 00:08:07,610 --> 00:08:11,660 And so any, any level of idolatry in our life is a flesh filled 190 00:08:11,660 --> 00:08:12,220 endeavor. 191 00:08:12,460 --> 00:08:14,380 Anytime we put something before the Lord. 192 00:08:14,620 --> 00:08:18,140 And there's times in my life that I might not mean to do something 193 00:08:18,860 --> 00:08:22,540 idolatrous, but what it is is that I might even look at something 194 00:08:22,540 --> 00:08:23,500 that's good in my life. 195 00:08:23,740 --> 00:08:26,780 You know, sometimes if we put anything before God, even if it's 196 00:08:26,780 --> 00:08:29,180 a good thing, you know, a job is not a bad thing. 197 00:08:29,180 --> 00:08:32,300 But if we put our job before the Lord, it now becomes idolatry. 198 00:08:32,780 --> 00:08:35,260 If we love a person in our life, that's a good thing. 199 00:08:35,260 --> 00:08:36,140 We should love others. 200 00:08:36,579 --> 00:08:39,779 But if we love a person more than God, it becomes idolatry. 201 00:08:39,939 --> 00:08:41,219 And that's what he's talking about here. 202 00:08:41,219 --> 00:08:42,899 Then he goes on to say something very interesting. 203 00:08:42,899 --> 00:08:44,019 He says, witchcraft. 204 00:08:44,739 --> 00:08:48,859 Now most of us are probably not practicing witchcraft. 205 00:08:48,859 --> 00:08:52,818 But I do want to go a little bit deeper into that word, because 206 00:08:53,219 --> 00:08:56,419 I think that we look at that word witchcraft, and we think, well, 207 00:08:56,739 --> 00:08:57,859 I don't know what you think about. 208 00:08:57,859 --> 00:09:02,339 I think of maybe like a movie of someone, like around a cauldron 209 00:09:02,339 --> 00:09:03,459 doing some weird thing. 210 00:09:04,090 --> 00:09:07,930 But actually, the Greek word for witchcraft is pharmaceia. 211 00:09:08,570 --> 00:09:09,370 Now, you don't. 212 00:09:09,450 --> 00:09:12,610 Maybe don't know what that means, but we get the word pharmacy 213 00:09:12,610 --> 00:09:13,210 from that. 214 00:09:13,770 --> 00:09:17,490 And what I truly believe is that some witchcraft can be tapped 215 00:09:17,490 --> 00:09:21,210 into through various substances that can harm our senses. 216 00:09:21,210 --> 00:09:25,210 That can be maybe drugs or some type of substance that can allow 217 00:09:25,210 --> 00:09:28,210 us to get to a place where our senses are dulled and our senses 218 00:09:28,210 --> 00:09:30,010 are turned over to something else controlling us. 219 00:09:30,670 --> 00:09:34,590 And so here he warns that witchcraft is a work of the flesh. 220 00:09:35,390 --> 00:09:38,790 Some of the others that we see here you see this word hatred. 221 00:09:38,790 --> 00:09:42,030 I mean, obviously you're familiar with that word. 222 00:09:42,030 --> 00:09:43,390 You know what that word means. 223 00:09:43,790 --> 00:09:46,670 But then we see this word, and it's an interesting word that we 224 00:09:46,670 --> 00:09:47,430 don't use very often. 225 00:09:47,430 --> 00:09:48,470 It's variance. 226 00:09:48,470 --> 00:09:49,310 What is variance? 227 00:09:49,310 --> 00:09:51,870 Well, variance is basically contention. 228 00:09:52,270 --> 00:09:54,670 Always being ready to fight somebody. 229 00:09:54,910 --> 00:09:56,990 Maybe not physically, but it's that strife. 230 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:01,040 Another word that has. 231 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:05,360 Has been translated from this word in the New Testament was debate. 232 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:07,040 Now, debate isn't a bad thing. 233 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:09,800 I think there are times and places for a debate, but we all know 234 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:11,520 those types of debates that aren't going anywhere. 235 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:14,560 That's what this is talking about, basically, to just try to 236 00:10:14,560 --> 00:10:15,920 win an argument. 237 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:17,920 And that's what he's talking about here. 238 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:19,520 That's a work of the flesh. 239 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:22,480 We'll go on to talk a few more of these that you might know and 240 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:23,280 you might not know. 241 00:10:23,650 --> 00:10:26,970 Um, we see another word here that's called emulations. 242 00:10:26,970 --> 00:10:27,930 What's emulations? 243 00:10:27,930 --> 00:10:33,130 Well, emulations is a word that basically speaks to having jealousy 244 00:10:33,130 --> 00:10:35,650 or being so envious that we hate somebody. 245 00:10:35,650 --> 00:10:35,970 We. 246 00:10:35,970 --> 00:10:36,970 We see it as a. 247 00:10:36,970 --> 00:10:38,770 We see everyone as a rivalry. 248 00:10:38,770 --> 00:10:42,050 To us, someone is rivaling me, and I don't like them. 249 00:10:42,050 --> 00:10:43,170 That's what he's talking about here. 250 00:10:43,490 --> 00:10:45,810 Wrath, strife, seditions. 251 00:10:45,810 --> 00:10:46,650 What is seditions? 252 00:10:46,650 --> 00:10:49,170 Well, the Greek word for seditions is division. 253 00:10:49,630 --> 00:10:52,350 You causing division amongst different folks. 254 00:10:52,350 --> 00:10:54,870 That's one of the works of the flesh that he mentions here. 255 00:10:54,870 --> 00:10:55,870 Then he says heresies. 256 00:10:55,870 --> 00:11:00,310 Well, heresies would be basically false teachings, different 257 00:11:00,310 --> 00:11:04,510 teachings that come out of different ways of belief and different, 258 00:11:04,910 --> 00:11:09,070 different, what we would call disagreements among different belief 259 00:11:09,070 --> 00:11:09,550 systems. 260 00:11:09,550 --> 00:11:12,590 And then he goes here and he says envyings, murders, drunkenness, 261 00:11:12,590 --> 00:11:17,150 revelings and such like And I love how that's added there. 262 00:11:17,450 --> 00:11:19,850 He basically lists all of these sins and then he says, and 263 00:11:19,850 --> 00:11:20,890 anything like it. 264 00:11:21,210 --> 00:11:24,130 What Paul is trying to explain to us, he's not giving us a list 265 00:11:24,130 --> 00:11:24,730 of a bunch of things. 266 00:11:24,730 --> 00:11:28,290 And we look at these things and go, well, I don't practice any 267 00:11:28,290 --> 00:11:30,330 of those, so I must not be guided by the flesh. 268 00:11:30,330 --> 00:11:33,210 What he's saying is, is that any of these things that we know 269 00:11:33,210 --> 00:11:37,370 are anti God, against God's plan, against God's will, and anything 270 00:11:37,370 --> 00:11:39,050 like them are works of the flesh. 271 00:11:39,050 --> 00:11:42,450 So if I commit any of these things, if I think about any of these 272 00:11:42,450 --> 00:11:44,970 things, if I have some type of love and desire for these things, 273 00:11:45,470 --> 00:11:47,630 I to some degree am walking in the flesh. 274 00:11:48,190 --> 00:11:49,510 And then he says of the. 275 00:11:49,510 --> 00:11:52,710 Which I tell you before, as I have told you in times past, that 276 00:11:52,710 --> 00:11:55,350 they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of 277 00:11:55,350 --> 00:11:55,710 God. 278 00:11:56,350 --> 00:11:59,270 Now those seem to be some pretty strong words. 279 00:11:59,270 --> 00:12:03,030 Basically, a lot of people will teach that if you've ever committed 280 00:12:03,030 --> 00:12:05,750 any of these things, you'll never be able to inherit the kingdom 281 00:12:05,750 --> 00:12:06,030 of God. 282 00:12:06,030 --> 00:12:07,390 And that's not what he's saying here. 283 00:12:07,470 --> 00:12:09,710 I think it's important to note what he is saying. 284 00:12:10,190 --> 00:12:15,580 He is explaining that yes, a Christian can commit these sins and 285 00:12:15,580 --> 00:12:18,340 that's an evidence that they are walking in the flesh. 286 00:12:18,820 --> 00:12:22,180 But someone whose life is characterized by this is someone 287 00:12:22,180 --> 00:12:24,460 whose life is not characterized being by being filled 288 00:12:24,460 --> 00:12:25,140 with the Spirit. 289 00:12:25,540 --> 00:12:29,140 And so the strength and certainty of, of Paul here, it, it's 290 00:12:29,140 --> 00:12:30,740 very clear that he's saying something. 291 00:12:30,980 --> 00:12:31,860 And what is he saying? 292 00:12:31,860 --> 00:12:34,380 He says that if someone's life is characterized by this, they're 293 00:12:34,380 --> 00:12:35,620 not characterized by God. 294 00:12:35,700 --> 00:12:37,860 And again, I'm not here to judge someone's salvation. 295 00:12:37,940 --> 00:12:39,430 I, I can't know what's in someone's heart. 296 00:12:39,430 --> 00:12:43,550 But what Paul is saying is that if you have no aspect of the, 297 00:12:43,790 --> 00:12:47,470 of the Spirit in your life and flesh is guiding every aspect, most 298 00:12:47,470 --> 00:12:48,870 likely you're not a believer. 299 00:12:48,870 --> 00:12:50,630 And that's what he's mentioning here. 300 00:12:50,630 --> 00:12:53,470 Now again, if I, if you've committed any of these sins, it doesn't 301 00:12:53,470 --> 00:12:54,350 mean that you're hopeless. 302 00:12:54,350 --> 00:12:57,070 The grace of God is beyond any of these sins that are here. 303 00:12:57,310 --> 00:12:59,790 But what it does tell us is that as a Christian, that should 304 00:12:59,790 --> 00:13:01,070 not be the norm for us. 305 00:13:01,230 --> 00:13:03,830 That should not be our lifestyle, that should not be our 306 00:13:03,830 --> 00:13:04,270 desire. 307 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:07,760 We might fall into some of these sins as we walk in the flesh, 308 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:11,760 but it should always be that we are repentant and, and broken 309 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:14,960 in our spirit and coming to God to find forgiveness and hope 310 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:18,200 and the way that one pastor mentioned it to me is he said, you 311 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:21,240 know, you could take a fish out of water if you've ever been 312 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:21,720 fishing. 313 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:24,840 And you, some of you may, or you guys might not understand what 314 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:25,640 catch and release is. 315 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:27,440 I was talking to a fellow today, and he goes, I don't know 316 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:28,520 why anyone does catch and release. 317 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:29,840 I'm catching fish to eat it. 318 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:32,080 Well, sometimes people just like to feel the tug on the line 319 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:33,120 and they let the fish back. 320 00:13:33,340 --> 00:13:35,700 You can pull a fish out of water and they can survive for a 321 00:13:35,700 --> 00:13:37,820 while, but that's not where they're designed to live. 322 00:13:37,820 --> 00:13:38,820 And that's how a Christian is. 323 00:13:38,820 --> 00:13:42,820 A Christian can be pulled out of living in the Spirit and they 324 00:13:42,820 --> 00:13:45,700 can somewhat function to some degree, but that is not where they're 325 00:13:45,700 --> 00:13:46,940 designed to be forever. 326 00:13:47,500 --> 00:13:50,260 So he explains here that the works of the flesh are going to bring 327 00:13:50,260 --> 00:13:50,580 these things. 328 00:13:50,580 --> 00:13:54,460 Now, why does he mention all the dangers of the works of the flesh? 329 00:13:54,460 --> 00:13:57,180 Well, because if we as Christians start to think that these 330 00:13:57,180 --> 00:14:00,340 things aren't that bad, if we can just choose the flesh and feel 331 00:14:00,340 --> 00:14:01,870 like everything's going to be okay, we. 332 00:14:01,940 --> 00:14:03,380 Well, then that's going to cause a lot of issues. 333 00:14:03,380 --> 00:14:07,220 Because later on, he says in Galatians, chapter 6, verse 9, that 334 00:14:07,300 --> 00:14:09,540 in due season we shall reap if we faint. 335 00:14:09,540 --> 00:14:11,100 Not we talking about the good thing there. 336 00:14:11,100 --> 00:14:14,300 But if you go back up a few verses in verse seven, he says, God 337 00:14:14,300 --> 00:14:17,900 is not mocked, for who whatsoever a man saith that, shall 338 00:14:17,900 --> 00:14:18,980 he also reap. 339 00:14:19,140 --> 00:14:22,180 So there is a law of sowing and reaping within Scripture. 340 00:14:22,580 --> 00:14:26,140 And the principle that he's teaching us here is that if we want 341 00:14:26,140 --> 00:14:29,820 to have lives that are growing in Christ, reflecting Christlike 342 00:14:29,820 --> 00:14:32,980 characteristics, we have to be walking in the spirit. 343 00:14:32,980 --> 00:14:37,060 So verse 22, he flips the scripts, and now he's going to give, 344 00:14:37,060 --> 00:14:40,020 in contrast to the works of the flesh, what we call the fruit 345 00:14:40,020 --> 00:14:40,580 of the Spirit. 346 00:14:40,580 --> 00:14:43,780 And most of you to some degree have gone through a study, at least 347 00:14:43,780 --> 00:14:45,300 in the fruit of the Spirit. 348 00:14:45,700 --> 00:14:47,780 And I used to think of the fruit of the Spirit this way. 349 00:14:48,420 --> 00:14:53,940 Well, if I am a Christian, I can work on these things. 350 00:14:54,260 --> 00:14:57,380 And I'll try harder to be loving, I'll try harder to be joyful. 351 00:14:57,510 --> 00:14:59,260 I. I'll try harder to have peace. 352 00:14:59,420 --> 00:15:01,020 But that's not what this passage is saying. 353 00:15:01,020 --> 00:15:05,340 This passage is saying if we walk in the Spirit, these are areas 354 00:15:05,340 --> 00:15:06,740 of our life that will be seen. 355 00:15:06,740 --> 00:15:11,340 Now, we certainly can grow in these areas, but it's not about manufacturing 356 00:15:11,340 --> 00:15:12,180 love in our life. 357 00:15:12,180 --> 00:15:15,380 It's about allowing the Spirit that's why it says the fruit, the 358 00:15:15,380 --> 00:15:18,140 fruit of the Spirit, the manifestation of the Spirit are going 359 00:15:18,140 --> 00:15:19,180 to be these things. 360 00:15:19,180 --> 00:15:23,510 And he says in verse 22, the fruit of the Spirit is love, that 361 00:15:23,510 --> 00:15:26,710 love is the agape love that we've been studying on Sunday mornings. 362 00:15:27,110 --> 00:15:27,990 Sacrificial. 363 00:15:27,990 --> 00:15:28,790 It's a choice. 364 00:15:29,350 --> 00:15:32,550 It's something that does not receive anything back necessarily. 365 00:15:32,630 --> 00:15:33,430 He says love. 366 00:15:33,430 --> 00:15:36,630 And then he goes on to mention that word that we talked about this 367 00:15:36,630 --> 00:15:37,430 morning, joy. 368 00:15:37,990 --> 00:15:39,469 And joy is such an important thing. 369 00:15:39,469 --> 00:15:41,350 You know, I. I've met some Christians who have. 370 00:15:41,830 --> 00:15:44,790 And I've been this Christian to some degree that have said, you 371 00:15:44,790 --> 00:15:45,030 know what? 372 00:15:45,030 --> 00:15:46,110 My joy has been stolen. 373 00:15:46,110 --> 00:15:47,190 I have no more joy. 374 00:15:47,830 --> 00:15:50,270 And though I believe that there are times and places in the 375 00:15:50,270 --> 00:15:52,750 Christian's life where we can go through the mourning process, 376 00:15:52,750 --> 00:15:56,220 that we can go through pain and understand what it means to be 377 00:15:56,220 --> 00:16:00,340 broken, the Christian's life should be characterized by joy because 378 00:16:00,340 --> 00:16:03,060 of what we talked about this morning, the hope that we have. 379 00:16:03,060 --> 00:16:04,260 That's a greater hope. 380 00:16:04,580 --> 00:16:06,820 And so there is gladness there, there is joy. 381 00:16:06,820 --> 00:16:09,659 There is rejoicing in the fact that there's something more. 382 00:16:09,659 --> 00:16:11,580 So this joy is a choice. 383 00:16:11,580 --> 00:16:14,180 Just like love, agape love is a choice. 384 00:16:14,180 --> 00:16:15,460 This joy is a choice. 385 00:16:15,780 --> 00:16:17,460 Then he goes on to talk about peace. 386 00:16:18,020 --> 00:16:20,220 And again, peace is one of those interesting things. 387 00:16:20,220 --> 00:16:23,360 And I think I mentioned this last week that, you know, there's 388 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:26,960 times in my life that I think, well, peace is something that I find 389 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:28,520 through peaceful circumstances. 390 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:30,520 But that's not what this type of peace is. 391 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:35,160 This type of peace is having a state of tranquility in the midst 392 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:38,520 of panic, in the midst of conflict. 393 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:40,480 And that's what he's talking about here. 394 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:42,760 He says, this is something that you can have in the Spirit. 395 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:45,680 This is something that's brought to us through having the 396 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:47,280 Spirit indwelling us and guiding us. 397 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:52,370 And he says longsuffering, that's patience, endurance, gentleness, 398 00:16:52,370 --> 00:16:53,730 goodness, faith. 399 00:16:54,290 --> 00:16:56,290 These are all things that we're familiar with. 400 00:16:56,770 --> 00:16:57,450 Meekness. 401 00:16:57,450 --> 00:16:59,010 Meekness is strength under control. 402 00:16:59,330 --> 00:17:00,850 Temperance, that's self control. 403 00:17:01,170 --> 00:17:02,610 Against such there is no law. 404 00:17:02,610 --> 00:17:06,050 Meaning you can't follow these things and grow in these areas by 405 00:17:06,050 --> 00:17:07,570 following some list of rules. 406 00:17:07,650 --> 00:17:10,450 It has to be through the Spirit, verse 24. 407 00:17:10,450 --> 00:17:14,620 And they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections 408 00:17:14,940 --> 00:17:15,820 and lust. 409 00:17:16,620 --> 00:17:17,500 What does this mean? 410 00:17:17,980 --> 00:17:21,020 This means that as a Christian, we have to intentionally 411 00:17:21,100 --> 00:17:22,460 crucify the flesh. 412 00:17:23,580 --> 00:17:25,500 What does it mean to crucify my flesh? 413 00:17:25,980 --> 00:17:27,900 Crucifying means killing, right? 414 00:17:27,980 --> 00:17:31,020 I need to put to death my fleshly desires. 415 00:17:31,020 --> 00:17:34,860 Every single Day recently, I. 416 00:17:35,180 --> 00:17:36,060 How many of you. 417 00:17:36,220 --> 00:17:36,620 Don't. 418 00:17:36,620 --> 00:17:37,420 Don't raise your hand. 419 00:17:37,500 --> 00:17:41,800 Okay, but how many of you get a little bit more irritable when 420 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:42,400 you're hungry? 421 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:43,200 Okay. 422 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:44,280 For me, my wife. 423 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:47,080 My wife and knows when I'm hungry because I can come a lot more 424 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:47,600 irritable. 425 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:49,920 She's like, I think you're getting hangry. 426 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:51,200 And I said, yeah, I am. 427 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:53,000 And she had to remind me. 428 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,000 She's like, just because you're hungry doesn't mean that you 429 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:57,040 have to lose your patience, all right? 430 00:17:57,040 --> 00:17:59,440 She's like, there's this thing called self control. 431 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:00,120 You can wait. 432 00:18:00,120 --> 00:18:01,560 I'm like, I know, but. 433 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:06,640 But sometimes I use a circumstance in my life to justify 434 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:08,520 my wrongdoing by saying, well, I'm hungry. 435 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:09,360 That's why I'm this way. 436 00:18:09,780 --> 00:18:12,660 Well, it doesn't mean that I can just do what I want to do because 437 00:18:12,660 --> 00:18:13,860 I feel a certain way. 438 00:18:14,340 --> 00:18:16,900 You know, this person did this to me, so I have to be this way. 439 00:18:16,900 --> 00:18:20,260 No, the Bible says that we have to die to that, kill that. 440 00:18:20,660 --> 00:18:23,860 It's a decision that we make to say, no, I am not going to allow 441 00:18:23,940 --> 00:18:26,660 myself to feed the lust of my flesh. 442 00:18:27,540 --> 00:18:31,900 Says in verse 25, if we live in the spirit, let us also walk in 443 00:18:31,900 --> 00:18:32,260 the Spirit. 444 00:18:32,260 --> 00:18:34,860 He says, if that's where we're abiding, that's the way that we should 445 00:18:34,860 --> 00:18:35,140 live. 446 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:36,320 They're correlated. 447 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:39,680 We can't say that we're following the Spirit, obeying the 448 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:40,440 Spirit, and then. 449 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:41,720 And then live in the flesh. 450 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:43,400 It's not happening. 451 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:43,800 We. 452 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:44,440 We can't. 453 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:47,320 It's what you put in is what's going to come out is what he's saying 454 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:47,640 here. 455 00:18:48,120 --> 00:18:50,640 And I think there's a lot of Christians that are wanting to see 456 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:54,560 all these blessings of walking in the Spirit, yet we're not willing 457 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:56,120 to die to the flesh. 458 00:18:56,920 --> 00:19:00,360 Verse 26, Let us not be desirous of vain glory. 459 00:19:02,050 --> 00:19:03,290 That's really interesting there. 460 00:19:03,290 --> 00:19:04,210 What is he saying? 461 00:19:04,850 --> 00:19:06,130 Well, what he's saying is this. 462 00:19:06,370 --> 00:19:09,810 To live in the flesh means to live for your own glory. 463 00:19:09,890 --> 00:19:13,410 Vainglory is emptiness, hopelessness, worthless. 464 00:19:14,050 --> 00:19:17,249 And he's explaining that that type of glory is worthless. 465 00:19:17,249 --> 00:19:17,970 It's hopeless. 466 00:19:18,050 --> 00:19:20,130 But that's what everyone's seeking after. 467 00:19:20,370 --> 00:19:22,490 That's why we act certain ways. 468 00:19:22,490 --> 00:19:23,690 That's why we feed the flesh. 469 00:19:23,690 --> 00:19:26,370 We only feed the flesh because it's for our glory. 470 00:19:27,030 --> 00:19:29,990 Going back to idolatry sometimes, it could be self idolatry, 471 00:19:30,950 --> 00:19:33,110 it could be humanism, it could be worshiping myself. 472 00:19:33,110 --> 00:19:37,270 And really the prevailing worldview in this world today are. 473 00:19:37,510 --> 00:19:41,030 Would be people who basically just worship themselves. 474 00:19:41,430 --> 00:19:45,710 They might not worship a God on, you know, a mantelpiece with 475 00:19:45,710 --> 00:19:46,350 an idol. 476 00:19:46,350 --> 00:19:49,710 They might not go to a church building, but to some degree, they 477 00:19:49,710 --> 00:19:51,910 are putting worship out for themselves. 478 00:19:52,550 --> 00:19:55,910 And he says, let us not desire that type of vainglory. 479 00:19:56,470 --> 00:19:58,110 Don't make life be about yourself. 480 00:19:58,110 --> 00:20:01,190 And that's a hard thing coming from an only child, okay? 481 00:20:01,190 --> 00:20:03,630 Because growing up, life was all about me. 482 00:20:03,630 --> 00:20:04,790 My parents focused on me. 483 00:20:04,790 --> 00:20:05,990 I didn't have to share any toys. 484 00:20:06,070 --> 00:20:07,430 I didn't have to share any food. 485 00:20:07,510 --> 00:20:08,750 I didn't have to share anything. 486 00:20:08,750 --> 00:20:09,430 I had it all. 487 00:20:09,830 --> 00:20:12,910 And so I certainly understand what it means to think about, hey, 488 00:20:12,910 --> 00:20:14,230 this is all about me. 489 00:20:14,550 --> 00:20:17,030 And a lot of times that's where we get in trouble as Christians, 490 00:20:17,510 --> 00:20:19,710 we think, well, that person wronged me. 491 00:20:19,710 --> 00:20:21,190 So therefore, you know what? 492 00:20:21,190 --> 00:20:22,910 We're going to cause problems in their life. 493 00:20:22,990 --> 00:20:24,830 I'm not going to be helpful for them. 494 00:20:24,830 --> 00:20:27,630 I'm going to be, as we see there in the works of the flesh, 495 00:20:27,710 --> 00:20:32,190 divisive, having seditions, emulation, strife, wrath, heresies, 496 00:20:32,270 --> 00:20:32,990 envyings. 497 00:20:32,990 --> 00:20:35,430 All these different things that we don't really want to have 498 00:20:35,430 --> 00:20:38,670 in our life can manifest when it's all about us, when we don't 499 00:20:38,670 --> 00:20:39,950 basically get our way. 500 00:20:41,070 --> 00:20:44,510 Someone told me one time that was working in youth ministry, and 501 00:20:44,510 --> 00:20:44,950 when I'm. 502 00:20:44,950 --> 00:20:46,950 I'm about to say something to you guys, and I know it's going to 503 00:20:46,950 --> 00:20:48,870 hurt, but it's the truth, and I'm just going to say it to you because 504 00:20:48,870 --> 00:20:50,840 I love you, and I'm speaking to myself. 505 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:53,200 This guy that was working at youth ministries is like, it's so 506 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:55,080 hard, Pastor, to deal with teenagers. 507 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:57,720 He was like, they're always bickering with one another. 508 00:20:58,040 --> 00:20:59,520 They're always jealous of one another. 509 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:01,640 There's always this infighting with them. 510 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:02,360 You know, I just. 511 00:21:02,360 --> 00:21:04,600 When I get to adult ministry, I'm not going to have to deal with 512 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:05,480 any of that anymore. 513 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:06,360 And. 514 00:21:06,360 --> 00:21:10,000 And I looked at him and I said, well, look, I said, working 515 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:11,960 in adult ministry is very similar. 516 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:13,240 It's just. 517 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:16,240 It's just all the teenagers are growing up now, but we still 518 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:16,520 have. 519 00:21:16,730 --> 00:21:19,050 Because it's not just subject to teenagers. 520 00:21:19,050 --> 00:21:21,370 And I'm not tearing us down because that's part of life. 521 00:21:21,370 --> 00:21:24,570 We all struggle with these things because that's humanity. 522 00:21:24,810 --> 00:21:25,570 Humanity is. 523 00:21:25,570 --> 00:21:27,170 There's always going to be that infighting. 524 00:21:27,170 --> 00:21:28,250 There's always going to be that. 525 00:21:28,250 --> 00:21:29,010 That bitterness. 526 00:21:29,010 --> 00:21:30,370 There's always going to be that envy. 527 00:21:30,370 --> 00:21:32,969 And he says, don't be desirous of that vain glory. 528 00:21:32,969 --> 00:21:33,250 Why? 529 00:21:33,250 --> 00:21:37,130 Because it says they're provoking one another, envying one 530 00:21:37,130 --> 00:21:37,450 another. 531 00:21:38,330 --> 00:21:38,690 We. 532 00:21:38,690 --> 00:21:41,410 We see the outcome of this desire for vainglory. 533 00:21:41,410 --> 00:21:42,570 It's going to provoke one another. 534 00:21:43,170 --> 00:21:46,450 Not in a good way, by the way, the Bible says that we are to provoke 535 00:21:46,450 --> 00:21:50,570 one another to love and good works, but not to provoke one another 536 00:21:50,570 --> 00:21:51,730 to envying one another. 537 00:21:52,050 --> 00:21:53,410 Because what it ha. 538 00:21:53,410 --> 00:21:55,330 What happens is that there's this system. 539 00:21:56,210 --> 00:21:58,930 And if we provoke one another to love and good works, it becomes 540 00:21:58,930 --> 00:21:59,650 contagious. 541 00:21:59,730 --> 00:22:01,610 That love and good works are going to be the norm. 542 00:22:01,610 --> 00:22:02,850 It's going to be what we do. 543 00:22:02,850 --> 00:22:04,290 It's going to be what is shared. 544 00:22:04,290 --> 00:22:07,890 But then if we go to the other side and it's all about me, and there's 545 00:22:07,890 --> 00:22:10,890 division there that's going to provoke people not to love and good 546 00:22:10,890 --> 00:22:11,130 works. 547 00:22:11,130 --> 00:22:13,010 It's going to provoke people to envy one another. 548 00:22:13,360 --> 00:22:17,320 And we create a culture of envy within our church, within our 549 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:19,920 family, within our workplace, wherever it is. 550 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:22,560 And we see here that he's saying that's not what we want. 551 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:26,240 So that selflessness that's mentioned earlier on in this passage 552 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:28,680 is seen through having the Spirit guide us. 553 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:31,280 And we want the glory of the Lord to be seen. 554 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:37,960 And spiritual growth is understanding that I'm in this not 555 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:41,600 for myself, but I'm in this ultimately for the Lord's glory. 556 00:22:42,010 --> 00:22:45,570 But to provoke and to love other people so that they can love 557 00:22:45,570 --> 00:22:49,170 others and that they can see that fruit of the Spirit growing 558 00:22:49,170 --> 00:22:49,850 in their life. 559 00:22:50,570 --> 00:22:54,210 What I would say here this evening is that part of spiritual 560 00:22:54,210 --> 00:22:56,970 growth is essentially saying, life is not about me. 561 00:22:58,090 --> 00:22:59,690 We're trying to teach our kids. 562 00:23:00,250 --> 00:23:03,250 You know, part of maturing is sometimes doing things that you don't 563 00:23:03,250 --> 00:23:03,850 want to do. 564 00:23:06,410 --> 00:23:10,350 This summer, the school gave our kids summer work. 565 00:23:10,510 --> 00:23:12,390 And by the way, I'm not a huge fan of summer work. 566 00:23:12,390 --> 00:23:13,830 I'm thinking like, hey, it's summertime. 567 00:23:13,830 --> 00:23:14,270 Give them. 568 00:23:14,430 --> 00:23:15,510 Give them a little bit of break. 569 00:23:15,510 --> 00:23:16,510 But they gave them summer work. 570 00:23:16,510 --> 00:23:18,870 Either way, I. I don't have an opinion on that. 571 00:23:18,870 --> 00:23:20,590 I do have an opinion, but I won't share it too much. 572 00:23:20,750 --> 00:23:22,550 But either way, they had to get their work done. 573 00:23:22,550 --> 00:23:23,669 And of course, what happens? 574 00:23:23,669 --> 00:23:24,590 They did the same thing that. 575 00:23:24,590 --> 00:23:25,550 That I would have done. 576 00:23:25,630 --> 00:23:27,230 They saved it to the very end, right? 577 00:23:27,230 --> 00:23:29,910 And at the very end, it's like, it's God, we gotta do this. 578 00:23:29,910 --> 00:23:30,910 We gotta get this done. 579 00:23:31,470 --> 00:23:31,870 And. 580 00:23:31,950 --> 00:23:33,150 And part of it is this. 581 00:23:34,010 --> 00:23:36,610 Though we might not always understand why we have to do what 582 00:23:36,610 --> 00:23:39,050 we have to do within our Christian life, within our adult 583 00:23:39,050 --> 00:23:42,730 life, we do have to understand that there are times and places that 584 00:23:42,890 --> 00:23:46,010 we have to go beyond our comfort to say, yes, I have to do 585 00:23:46,010 --> 00:23:46,170 this. 586 00:23:46,170 --> 00:23:47,210 That's part of maturity. 587 00:23:47,290 --> 00:23:49,769 Part of maturity is that I got to make sure other people are taken 588 00:23:49,769 --> 00:23:50,250 care of. 589 00:23:50,250 --> 00:23:54,170 Part of maturity is sacrificing what I want to help other 590 00:23:54,170 --> 00:23:55,130 people around me. 591 00:23:55,130 --> 00:23:57,010 And that's what it means to be a mature Christian. 592 00:23:57,010 --> 00:23:59,170 To be a mature Christian is identifying. 593 00:23:59,170 --> 00:24:02,200 Yes, there's blessings in going to church, yes, there's blessings 594 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:03,320 within my Christian life. 595 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:06,320 But I also have to realize that it's not about me, that I need 596 00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:08,960 to be looking for others to help others in their time of need. 597 00:24:09,360 --> 00:24:11,560 And that's only gonna come through a spiritual growth process 598 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:14,680 of understanding that the Spirit is our guide for that growth. 599 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:15,440 Our Spirit. 600 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:19,120 The Spirit is the guide for all these elements of meekness, temperance, 601 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:21,400 and all those things that are listed there in the Fruit of the 602 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:21,680 Spirit. 603 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:24,560 So here's a test that I would give to you, and it's a test that 604 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:28,910 I try to run myself through almost every day, is I'll have an 605 00:24:28,910 --> 00:24:32,670 interaction with somebody and I'll make sure, okay, did I respond 606 00:24:32,670 --> 00:24:33,390 in the Spirit? 607 00:24:33,710 --> 00:24:36,390 And it's a really easy test to see whether or not we responded in 608 00:24:36,390 --> 00:24:36,750 the Spirit. 609 00:24:36,750 --> 00:24:45,830 We look at verse 22 and 23 and we see if our response, our actions, 610 00:24:45,830 --> 00:24:50,590 our words, our hearts aligns with these elements of the Fruit 611 00:24:50,590 --> 00:24:51,070 of the Spirit. 612 00:24:51,070 --> 00:24:54,350 So if I look at this and I say, okay, did I respond in love? 613 00:24:55,920 --> 00:24:56,400 Not really. 614 00:24:56,880 --> 00:24:58,120 Did I respond in joy? 615 00:24:58,120 --> 00:24:58,640 No way. 616 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:00,800 Did I, did I respond in peace? 617 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:02,160 It was not very peaceful. 618 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:05,680 You can start to realize that that was not a spirit filled response. 619 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:06,920 That was a flesh filled response. 620 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:09,600 Well, the beauty is, is that we can go before the Lord, we can 621 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:12,360 ask for forgiveness, we can restore that with someone else that 622 00:25:12,360 --> 00:25:14,720 we have said something against or done something against. 623 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:16,760 And the beauty is, is that we hack. 624 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:18,480 We can have forgiveness and we can have hope. 625 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:19,760 And that's spiritual growth. 626 00:25:20,250 --> 00:25:21,530 We don't get it overnight. 627 00:25:22,650 --> 00:25:27,490 The spiritual growth process is a step by step process that happens 628 00:25:27,490 --> 00:25:29,850 every single day for as long as we live. 629 00:25:30,970 --> 00:25:33,130 Paul says it in the book of Philippians. 630 00:25:33,130 --> 00:25:37,930 I want to want you to see this here, Philippians chapter three. 631 00:25:39,050 --> 00:25:45,450 He's, he's speaking here of really this calling that God has 632 00:25:45,450 --> 00:25:46,530 given him in his life. 633 00:25:46,530 --> 00:25:48,730 And he talks about pressing forward. 634 00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:54,200 He, he, if anybody could have said they had it complete and done, 635 00:25:54,360 --> 00:25:55,280 it would be Paul. 636 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:59,520 I mean, Paul was in many ways we see him and we say, wow, man, 637 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:00,760 he really had it all together. 638 00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:02,600 Though he didn't always have it together. 639 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:05,920 Paul was A man that was being guided by God. 640 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:07,840 I think that all of us would agree with that. 641 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:12,280 But he says in verse number 13 of Philippians 3, brethren, I count 642 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:15,360 not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I 643 00:26:15,360 --> 00:26:18,540 do, forgetting those things which are behind, whether they're 644 00:26:18,700 --> 00:26:20,140 good times or bad times. 645 00:26:20,140 --> 00:26:22,460 He's not stuck in what he used to do. 646 00:26:23,100 --> 00:26:27,420 You know, I've heard people say, and maybe you have, Pastor, 647 00:26:27,420 --> 00:26:28,540 you don't know my past. 648 00:26:28,940 --> 00:26:31,140 You don't understand what I used to do. 649 00:26:31,140 --> 00:26:32,700 I could never be used by God today. 650 00:26:33,259 --> 00:26:35,580 Well, if anyone could have used that example, it would have 651 00:26:35,580 --> 00:26:36,220 been Paul, right? 652 00:26:36,220 --> 00:26:39,380 Paul could have said, you didn't know me back there in Jerusalem. 653 00:26:39,380 --> 00:26:41,340 You didn't know me when I was a Pharisee. 654 00:26:42,300 --> 00:26:43,900 But he says, I'm not looking back there. 655 00:26:43,900 --> 00:26:46,220 And then I've also heard people say, well, these are all the 656 00:26:46,220 --> 00:26:47,420 good things that I used to do. 657 00:26:47,420 --> 00:26:48,140 But you know what? 658 00:26:48,220 --> 00:26:49,020 I'm done now. 659 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:52,600 Just can't do anymore either way, if it's good or bad. 660 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:54,040 He says, I'm not stuck back there. 661 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:56,680 I'm looking forward to the next thing that God has for me. 662 00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:01,360 He says, I. I'm not looking back those things which are behind 663 00:27:01,360 --> 00:27:03,800 and reaching forth unto those things which are before. 664 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:07,560 I press toward the mark for the prize, the high calling of God 665 00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:08,680 in Christ Jesus. 666 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:12,440 He speaks to this idea of pressing forward, reaching forward, 667 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:16,940 always desiring to have more of the growth that God brings to 668 00:27:16,940 --> 00:27:17,540 the Spirit. 669 00:27:18,260 --> 00:27:18,860 Verse 15. 670 00:27:18,860 --> 00:27:22,740 He says, Let us therefore, as many be perfect or mature, be thus 671 00:27:22,740 --> 00:27:23,300 minded. 672 00:27:23,940 --> 00:27:27,620 He says, if you want to be a mature Christian, have the same mindset. 673 00:27:29,060 --> 00:27:29,540 What if. 674 00:27:29,540 --> 00:27:34,500 What if I got up here tonight and said, guys, I got it. 675 00:27:34,660 --> 00:27:35,540 I've reached it. 676 00:27:35,860 --> 00:27:37,780 Okay, I'm your standard. 677 00:27:37,780 --> 00:27:39,780 If you want to know about the Bible, follow. 678 00:27:39,940 --> 00:27:40,900 Just be like me. 679 00:27:41,450 --> 00:27:42,090 I'm there, though. 680 00:27:42,090 --> 00:27:43,210 I don't need to grow anymore. 681 00:27:43,210 --> 00:27:43,650 I can. 682 00:27:43,650 --> 00:27:44,850 I've got this all memorized. 683 00:27:44,850 --> 00:27:45,610 I'm going to put it down. 684 00:27:45,610 --> 00:27:46,410 I'm done with it. 685 00:27:46,410 --> 00:27:47,890 That would be a red flag. 686 00:27:47,890 --> 00:27:50,450 That would be when you all need to stand up and walk out or 687 00:27:50,450 --> 00:27:51,130 vote me out. 688 00:27:51,130 --> 00:27:52,890 Okay, that would be the case. 689 00:27:53,210 --> 00:27:55,570 But what he says here is, he says, if you want. 690 00:27:55,570 --> 00:27:56,890 That's an immature way of thinking. 691 00:27:57,050 --> 00:28:00,090 He says, if you want to be in verse 15, that's what he's saying. 692 00:28:00,090 --> 00:28:02,330 He says, let us, therefore, as many as be perfect. 693 00:28:02,330 --> 00:28:06,170 Now, he doesn't mean perfect in the sense of, like, sinless. 694 00:28:06,660 --> 00:28:08,900 That word, perfect in the Greek means mature. 695 00:28:08,900 --> 00:28:12,380 He says, those that want to be like this and be mature he says, 696 00:28:12,380 --> 00:28:13,620 have this mindset. 697 00:28:13,780 --> 00:28:17,740 And if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal 698 00:28:17,740 --> 00:28:18,980 even this unto you. 699 00:28:20,020 --> 00:28:23,340 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by 700 00:28:23,340 --> 00:28:25,380 the same rule, let us mind the same thing. 701 00:28:25,380 --> 00:28:29,020 He says, let's keep walking in step of what God has called us to 702 00:28:29,020 --> 00:28:29,300 do. 703 00:28:29,460 --> 00:28:31,540 He goes on to talk more about this. 704 00:28:31,540 --> 00:28:33,960 He says, brethren, be followers together of me. 705 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:35,120 So we would say, wait. 706 00:28:35,120 --> 00:28:35,520 But wait. 707 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:36,680 Paul's saying to worship him. 708 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:37,680 No, he's not saying worship. 709 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:40,440 He says, follow me and mark them which walk. 710 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:43,080 So as ye have us for an example. 711 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:46,240 We know that this aligns with what Paul says before follow me as 712 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:47,000 I follow Christ. 713 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:50,280 Then he goes on to talk about other people that we should not be 714 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:50,600 following. 715 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:55,240 He says, for many walk of whom I have told you and now tell you, 716 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:56,120 even weeping. 717 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:56,920 So Paul is. 718 00:28:56,920 --> 00:29:00,700 Is weeping over this, that they are the enemies of the cross 719 00:29:00,700 --> 00:29:06,100 of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly. 720 00:29:06,740 --> 00:29:07,860 See, what is he talking about? 721 00:29:08,420 --> 00:29:11,020 He's talking about this idea that their God is what makes them 722 00:29:11,020 --> 00:29:11,540 feel good. 723 00:29:11,620 --> 00:29:13,460 Their God is what feeds them. 724 00:29:13,460 --> 00:29:16,980 Their God is what gives them some type of fleshly pleasure. 725 00:29:17,540 --> 00:29:20,540 And he says, and whose glory is in their shame. 726 00:29:20,540 --> 00:29:22,100 Who mind earthly things. 727 00:29:22,100 --> 00:29:23,780 They're all about the here and now. 728 00:29:23,780 --> 00:29:25,440 They're all about the flesh. 729 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:26,720 They're all about material. 730 00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:30,360 They're all about just living life in the moment instead of thinking 731 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:32,040 of what it is to come. 732 00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:34,000 He says from our conversation. 733 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:36,280 For our conversation is in heaven. 734 00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:40,600 That word conversation is not just based in our language, but it's 735 00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:41,560 in our lifestyle. 736 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:44,320 He says we should be living heaven, focused. 737 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:45,320 Heavenly focused. 738 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:47,200 There's a song. 739 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:49,320 This world is not my home, I'm just passing through. 740 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:51,360 That's the mindset that we're supposed to have. 741 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:55,100 We're pilgrims in this world, though we're here now for a time. 742 00:29:55,420 --> 00:29:57,580 And some of us are here for longer than others. 743 00:29:57,580 --> 00:29:58,820 But we're here for a time. 744 00:29:58,820 --> 00:30:00,620 But our eternal destination is heaven. 745 00:30:00,700 --> 00:30:03,340 So what Paul is telling us is we should live that way. 746 00:30:03,340 --> 00:30:04,460 We should think that way. 747 00:30:04,540 --> 00:30:07,780 We should think about the eternal perspective from whence also 748 00:30:07,780 --> 00:30:12,020 we look for the salvation the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change 749 00:30:12,020 --> 00:30:13,020 our vile body. 750 00:30:13,980 --> 00:30:14,700 That's a. 751 00:30:15,020 --> 00:30:15,380 For. 752 00:30:15,380 --> 00:30:19,100 For many of us that's a blessing because this body, this 753 00:30:19,100 --> 00:30:20,510 flesh is. 754 00:30:20,510 --> 00:30:22,790 Is something that we're going to wrestle with until the end. 755 00:30:22,790 --> 00:30:26,390 But there will be one day where we no longer have the pains 756 00:30:26,390 --> 00:30:28,830 of the flesh, the lust of the flesh. 757 00:30:29,150 --> 00:30:32,430 One day we'll be as it says and that it may be fashioned like 758 00:30:32,430 --> 00:30:34,030 unto his glorious body. 759 00:30:34,590 --> 00:30:38,030 One day we'll be rid of all these fleshly desires and we'll be 760 00:30:38,030 --> 00:30:39,270 able to walk perfectly with him. 761 00:30:39,270 --> 00:30:42,630 And he says, according to the working whereby he is able even to 762 00:30:42,630 --> 00:30:44,430 subdue all things unto himself. 763 00:30:45,230 --> 00:30:47,190 So the hope is not to live for the here and now. 764 00:30:47,190 --> 00:30:48,590 The hope is to live for eternity. 765 00:30:48,890 --> 00:30:52,010 Our hope is to live with what we can invest forever. 766 00:30:52,890 --> 00:30:56,970 You know, there's times in my life that I feel like I'm doing something 767 00:30:56,970 --> 00:30:58,650 now and am I really wasting my time? 768 00:30:58,650 --> 00:31:01,450 Is this really, really beneficial to anybody? 769 00:31:01,850 --> 00:31:05,090 And the truth is, is that the test for that is whether or not this 770 00:31:05,090 --> 00:31:07,290 is something that is for the Lord or not for the Lord. 771 00:31:07,930 --> 00:31:12,130 Jesus says that there's things in this earth that we can invest 772 00:31:12,130 --> 00:31:15,050 in, but Roth Moth and Rust will corrupt it. 773 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:20,280 The one thing that Moth and Russ will not corrupt is our relationship 774 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:20,720 with him. 775 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:24,520 The things that we do for him, the things that we grow in, in his 776 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:24,840 name. 777 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:27,520 And so I encourage you to think about that when you go into 778 00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:31,040 a situation, have the heavenly perspective, the eternal perspective, 779 00:31:31,040 --> 00:31:35,200 in the midst of work tomorrow, when you go in, in the midst of conflict, 780 00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:38,400 maybe within your home or even in the midst of a physical struggle, 781 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:40,160 think about it from the heavenly perspective. 782 00:31:41,290 --> 00:31:45,090 I know that, you know, we're in a time now where obviously all 783 00:31:45,090 --> 00:31:48,490 of us have lost someone that we love, but particularly it's fresh 784 00:31:49,050 --> 00:31:51,130 with what's happened with Michelle. 785 00:31:52,250 --> 00:31:55,850 And, you know, it is painful to lose somebody that we're close 786 00:31:55,850 --> 00:31:56,170 with. 787 00:31:57,130 --> 00:32:00,130 But the Bible tells us that we don't have to sorrow as other people 788 00:32:00,130 --> 00:32:01,850 sorrow because we have a greater hope. 789 00:32:02,570 --> 00:32:06,110 And if we truly believe what we say we believe, we. 790 00:32:06,180 --> 00:32:08,860 We understand where Michelle is and where our loved ones that 791 00:32:08,860 --> 00:32:11,780 are believers are and that they're walking with God. 792 00:32:11,780 --> 00:32:14,500 And the Bible says absent with the body is present with the Lord. 793 00:32:14,500 --> 00:32:15,700 And there is that. 794 00:32:15,780 --> 00:32:18,740 That comfort of knowing that they're understanding God's grace 795 00:32:18,740 --> 00:32:21,780 now more than we could ever understand on this side of heaven. 796 00:32:22,019 --> 00:32:24,620 I mean, we're just getting glimpses and taste of it, the Holy 797 00:32:24,620 --> 00:32:25,060 Spirit. 798 00:32:25,060 --> 00:32:27,900 The Bible says that the Holy Spirit is like a down payment or 799 00:32:27,900 --> 00:32:30,820 an earnest payment for what we will have one day. 800 00:32:30,900 --> 00:32:32,100 And so think about the. 801 00:32:32,100 --> 00:32:36,350 The most joyful, meaningful spiritual experience you've ever 802 00:32:36,350 --> 00:32:36,670 had. 803 00:32:37,470 --> 00:32:40,430 And the Bible says that that's just a taste of what it will be, 804 00:32:40,430 --> 00:32:41,830 and that's what we're living for. 805 00:32:41,830 --> 00:32:42,750 That's spiritual growth. 806 00:32:42,750 --> 00:32:45,550 To understand that this is just a temporary place. 807 00:32:45,790 --> 00:32:49,430 This is just a shell of what I will eventually be one day, because 808 00:32:49,430 --> 00:32:51,470 one day I will be able to walk with My Savior. 809 00:32:52,030 --> 00:32:53,470 And I think about that a lot. 810 00:32:53,550 --> 00:32:54,430 I think there's times. 811 00:32:55,550 --> 00:32:59,550 Sorry, there's your Greek word right there. 812 00:33:01,990 --> 00:33:05,670 But the, the problem that I think a lot of us have, including 813 00:33:05,750 --> 00:33:08,550 myself, is that I'm going through a struggle. 814 00:33:08,550 --> 00:33:11,510 And I think about it from the perspective of the here and now, 815 00:33:11,510 --> 00:33:13,510 and I forget that there's something more. 816 00:33:13,910 --> 00:33:16,790 And, and I, I go back to some of those times in my life where I 817 00:33:16,790 --> 00:33:20,030 really experience the love of Christ or the presence of God. 818 00:33:20,030 --> 00:33:22,510 For, for me, sometimes it's when we're singing songs on Sunday 819 00:33:22,510 --> 00:33:25,670 mornings here, sometimes I just like to listen to everyone sing. 820 00:33:25,990 --> 00:33:28,390 Sometimes I like to think about the words that we're singing 821 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:31,600 and I get just a little taste of, I think, what it'll be like in 822 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:34,240 heaven one day when we have all the saints singing praises to 823 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:38,040 God, getting around the table and having fellowship with other 824 00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:41,080 Christians and breaking bread with them and discussing the Bible 825 00:33:41,320 --> 00:33:44,360 and talking about what this verse means and what that verse means 826 00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:45,320 and praying together. 827 00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:47,560 These are all amazing experiences. 828 00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:48,840 I get excited for those things. 829 00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:51,880 What gets me up in the morning when you see someone get saved, when 830 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:54,410 you see someone come down the aisle and trust in Jesus, or get 831 00:33:54,410 --> 00:33:57,450 up behind the pulpit and join the church, These are all just like 832 00:33:57,450 --> 00:34:00,690 little beautiful glimpses of what it will be one day. 833 00:34:00,850 --> 00:34:04,170 And so I would encourage you to do as, as you grow in your spiritual 834 00:34:04,170 --> 00:34:07,370 walk, is to start to think more about walking in the spirit. 835 00:34:07,370 --> 00:34:07,690 Why? 836 00:34:07,690 --> 00:34:09,730 Because there's something bigger, there's something greater, 837 00:34:09,730 --> 00:34:14,210 there's something larger in our life than just the here and now. 838 00:34:14,450 --> 00:34:17,090 So if you're tempted to get frustrated, if you're tempted to 839 00:34:17,090 --> 00:34:21,210 walk in the flesh, if you're tempted to, to get bitter against 840 00:34:21,210 --> 00:34:23,940 the situation that you might be facing in your life, if you're 841 00:34:23,940 --> 00:34:25,900 a believer, think about the bigger perspective. 842 00:34:26,380 --> 00:34:29,060 I, I've used this as an example before, and it's a very crude 843 00:34:29,060 --> 00:34:31,900 example, but let me explain it to you and hear me out. 844 00:34:33,420 --> 00:34:37,540 If I'm ever going on a, like a vacation, I'm really excited for 845 00:34:37,540 --> 00:34:37,820 it. 846 00:34:38,540 --> 00:34:41,180 On that Friday, the problem might come up. 847 00:34:41,180 --> 00:34:42,380 And I can say, you know what? 848 00:34:42,700 --> 00:34:43,220 I can. 849 00:34:43,220 --> 00:34:46,220 If I can just make it to five o' clock and get on the road, we're 850 00:34:46,220 --> 00:34:47,020 going to be okay. 851 00:34:47,100 --> 00:34:48,540 And now Pastor Ethan's here. 852 00:34:48,540 --> 00:34:50,460 I can just say, hey, Pastor Ethan, deal with that as I go. 853 00:34:50,460 --> 00:34:51,500 See you later, though. 854 00:34:51,500 --> 00:34:52,460 You understand what I mean? 855 00:34:52,460 --> 00:34:55,960 Like, we can have problems here on this earth, but if we're 856 00:34:55,960 --> 00:34:59,440 living for that, if that's all we have and that's all we're focusing 857 00:34:59,440 --> 00:35:01,280 on, of course that's going to bring us down. 858 00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:02,920 Of course that's going to bring us hopelessness. 859 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:06,000 But if we say, yes, I've got this issue here right now, but I'm 860 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:08,040 living for something more, I'm living for something better. 861 00:35:08,200 --> 00:35:11,040 I, I, I can look to Jesus and he's going to give me that peace 862 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:12,280 that passes all understanding. 863 00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:15,320 It at least allows us to endure those temptations and trials 864 00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:18,880 and those hardships in a lot more Christlike, mature way. 865 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:21,340 So as we walk through this, we're only going to walk through 866 00:35:21,340 --> 00:35:22,860 it about two or three more weeks. 867 00:35:22,860 --> 00:35:25,500 As we get into September, we're going to be getting into another 868 00:35:25,500 --> 00:35:26,020 Bible study. 869 00:35:26,020 --> 00:35:29,220 But I want you to think in your mind, what is spiritual growth? 870 00:35:29,380 --> 00:35:30,820 How am I spiritually growing? 871 00:35:30,900 --> 00:35:33,060 How would I even know if I was spiritually growing? 872 00:35:33,220 --> 00:35:35,780 Well, we've talked about a lot of different tests that we can put 873 00:35:35,780 --> 00:35:39,940 into our life to identify and evaluate where we are in our spiritual 874 00:35:39,940 --> 00:35:40,260 walk. 875 00:35:40,420 --> 00:35:42,820 We're all growing, we're all learning. 876 00:35:43,060 --> 00:35:46,700 And I hope that you are at least able to take the next step. 877 00:35:46,700 --> 00:35:48,060 You might say, what's my next step? 878 00:35:48,060 --> 00:35:50,050 Well, it's different for everybody. 879 00:35:50,210 --> 00:35:52,450 Some people's next step is getting into the Word. 880 00:35:52,450 --> 00:35:56,330 Some people's next step is finding how, how you're spiritually 881 00:35:56,330 --> 00:35:56,850 gifted. 882 00:35:56,930 --> 00:35:59,970 Other people, it's how to use that spiritual gift within the church. 883 00:36:00,050 --> 00:36:02,370 For some people, the next step is the first step, just trusting 884 00:36:02,370 --> 00:36:03,570 in Jesus Christ as Savior. 885 00:36:03,970 --> 00:36:06,770 But whatever it is, as a Christian, we're called to take that 886 00:36:06,770 --> 00:36:07,410 next step. 887 00:36:07,570 --> 00:36:10,210 And I would encourage you to think about that and pray about that 888 00:36:10,210 --> 00:36:11,250 as we go through the study. 889 00:36:11,410 --> 00:36:14,050 Now, some people have asked, where are we going after the spiritual 890 00:36:14,370 --> 00:36:15,250 growth series? 891 00:36:16,430 --> 00:36:18,590 If you are really interested, I'll tell you. 892 00:36:18,670 --> 00:36:21,990 We are going to be doing some studies in the minor prophets, and 893 00:36:21,990 --> 00:36:23,630 some of you are like, minor prophets. 894 00:36:23,630 --> 00:36:24,830 What about, what's that about? 895 00:36:25,390 --> 00:36:28,150 I think it's the minor prophets are a group of scriptures 896 00:36:28,150 --> 00:36:29,070 that get overlooked a lot. 897 00:36:29,070 --> 00:36:31,350 But they're like, really beneficial to some of the New Testament 898 00:36:31,350 --> 00:36:32,750 prophecies that we see. 899 00:36:32,750 --> 00:36:36,590 And so we're going to be going through books like Joel, Amos, ones 900 00:36:36,590 --> 00:36:39,070 that maybe you don't read every single day, but it'll be a 901 00:36:39,070 --> 00:36:40,030 really interesting study. 902 00:36:40,030 --> 00:36:43,430 And I think that we'll see that the New Testament actually leans 903 00:36:43,430 --> 00:36:47,110 a lot on the Old Testament for its quotations and references to 904 00:36:47,110 --> 00:36:48,910 things that are to come still in the future. 905 00:36:48,910 --> 00:36:51,550 And I would love to talk you through all of that.