FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT - LESSON 3

Presented May 27, 2001

Tim Fletcher

We live in a stressed out world.

There are many reasons for the stress level being at the high point that it is:

We’re going too fast.  Everything is going fast from leisure, to work, to church, to driving....everything goes faster and faster, it seems.

We’re trying to be in control of everything...and we can’t solve hardly anything.   I heard the story of a father and a buddy who was single talking and the father was telling of the wonders of married life. He said, "Do you know what it means to come home at night and have three wonderful, beautiful, obedient children that are so glad to see you. Do you know what it means to come home at night and have these kids just think you are the most perfect person in the world and hang on to your every word?" The single guy says, "No, what does it mean?" The father said, "It means you are in the wrong house!

We live life thinking we can get control...but we can’t  (things like death, sickness, when bad things happen.

We have poor physical health habits.  Neglect…putting off healthy changes until later...relying on medicine for fast cures, rather than changing diet or exercise practices.

We have a problem with negativity.  Critical attitude...making it hard to see positive without quickly moving to what’s negative.

We struggle with the past.  Wishing things were different and hadn’t happened...or wishing things were different and had happened.

We have conflicting values.   We believe in love joy and peace...patience, contentment with a little, humility ...but in our heart we’re thinking: success, power, retirement stability, investment accounts

GOD DID NOT CALL YOU TO LIVE “Stressed out”.

Remember Colossians 3:15--- GOD CALLED YOU TO PEACE

Colossians 3:15-17

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Remember Philippians 4:6-7  --  Prayer is the means by which God works to give you h is peace.

Philippians 4:6-7

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Remember Romans 8:6  --  Your mind, controlled by the Spirit of God, should know peace.  This is a command description.

Romans  8:5-10

 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. 9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

Remember II Thessalonians 3:16  --  Pray for Peace

2 Thessalonians 3:16

16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

Remember Psalm 46:10:  Accept situations...and know that God is God.  God can take your life...and make it beautiful.

Psalm 46:10

10 "Be still, and know that I am God;

In 1823 there was a student at a British school, Rugby School, his name was William Webb Ellis. He was playing soccer one day and he forgot through a mental lapse what game he was playing and instead of kicking the ball, he caught it. William Ellis caught the ball, ran to the goal, and all of a sudden, instead of hearing the cheering crowds he heard a mocking crowd, a laughing crowd. This student, William Ellis, at this British school called Rugby, was so humiliated and embarrassed he took his life. But someone was at that school, watched what William Ellis had done, and said, "You know, that is not a bad idea, that is a whole different sport." They used that mistake to found a whole different sport, named it after the school that it started at, and it became known as rugby, which is the predecessor to football. But it did no good for William Ellis because he could not trust that a trash can could become a treasure chest. The whole story of the scriptures - go through it from beginning to end, from Genesis to the maps, and you will find over and over again, sisters and brothers, this story of how God takes what is worst, least, contemptible, lowest, and does what is greatest, best, and strongest. It is the story of the gospel.