Pastor Dave Martin ~ Cross Creek Community Church ~ May 23, 2010

“Beyond Conversion”

Into the Wonderful Spirit Filled Life - Part 4

• This message has been coming together for weeks… There is so much more “Beyond Conversion”…
• Let me begin by saying there is nothing greater this side of glory than living the wonderful Spirit filled life!
• Living the Spirit filled life is to live life to the fullest… in purpose, in power, in victory… (Fruit of Spirit)
• I pray over the next few weeks, God will teach us… open us up to a brand new chapter of our spiritual life

Why do I struggle so much with temptations and sin?  Many times unable to escape the addictive behaviors…

Why do I live an inconsistent Christian Life?  Feeling like a yoyo… Mt tops and valleys… hot and cold…

Why has my joy disappeared?  Feeling bitter, negative and miserable almost all the time…

Where’s my fruit?  Living an “empty” Christian life… as a fruit inspector, pause to  analyze your life…

HELP!  Far too often Christians opt out… surrendering to a continuing defeated joyless Christian life…

• Many times we unwisely base our spirituality upon our performance… striving, trying to live like a Christian which is a recipe for burnout… That’s why to some believers living the Christian life is one big continual struggle… Knowing God is the answer, yet we still try to live out the wonderful spirit filled life in our own intellect, resources and power… Continuing with “Beyond Conversion”… It’s impossible for you to live the Christian life… “Not I but Christ”…

I.    Realize there is a Conflict within every Believer

Galatians 5:16-17 ¹⁶ So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. ¹⁷ For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

• The Holy Spirit does not operate automatically in a believer’s heart… He waits to be depended upon!
• Not grieving Him (sin), Not quenching Him (disobedience)… But by “keep on walking with Him”… LIFE
• Contrary , adversary, opposed, conflict… “anti” is between the old nature and our new Spiritual nature

II.     The Struggle is Between… “They are in conflict with each other” v17

• The Old Nature, Characterized by:

Galatians 5:19-21 ¹⁹ The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

1. We will go into more detail with these verses in future weeks… note their fruit…

• The New Nature, Characterized by:

Galatians 5:22-23 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control…

1. Fruit is singular with nine character qualities… all of these qualities should be found in a believer who lives under the control of the Holy Spirit… “by their fruit you will know them”

1. This “Christlikeness” is produced by the Holy Spirit… The new nature fruit is simply the life of Christ lived out in a Christian whereby he becomes more like Christ… Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control… holiness, prayer, servant… 

The Lord clearly shows us a dramatic contrast between the two natures… the question begs to be asked…

What “Fruit” is evident in your life?

• Is your life characterized more by hatred or love… depression or joy… stress or peace… ???
• Am I more prone to jealousy, bitterness, discord or to gentleness, faithfulness and kindness?
• An authentic Christian will have and be evident in their lives the “fruit of the Holy Spirit”…
• I know I’m saved… but I just can’t seem to find the combination in getting control of my life…

III.        Learn the “Secret” of Abiding in Christ

• Israel was God’s choice vine… God longed for fruit but Israel (vine) degenerated and produced bad fruit… Therefore Jesus the “True Vine” fulfills what God intended for Israel…
• Suppose someone offered you a "joy" that is greater than any other… A "blessedness", happiness in its fullest measure… An "assurance" of entering the everlasting kingdom of our Lord… A "peace" that surpasses all understanding… would you be interested?  Abiding in Christ…

• “Fruit” is mentioned 8 times in this chapter… also notice the progression (fruit… more… much…)

John 15:1-8 ¹ "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

 ⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. ⁸ By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. nkjv

• “Abide” means to dwell, remain, tarry, rest, to live… practicing God’s presence, prayer connection…
• Effortless resting in the Lord, being confident in His promises… not a frantic frenzy, confident trust…

I am the Vine…

• Every Jew would understand this parable of vine & branch… Vine was a symbol of Israel (Jer 2:31; Isa 5:1-7)
• In a vine, the roots are unseen… our lives are hid in Christ (Col 3:3)… Understand the root bears vine
• Branches are everywhere, growing all over the world… with common root and sap
• Branches need energy, nutrients, they are weak, insufficient to sustain themselves… they are dependent
• The Vinedresser (God) watches over His branches (children)… pruning, loving, caring, blessing…
• Some branches bear no fruit… withered, dead… cut off and they are thrown into the fire…(Three views)

1.) It can’t be saved then lost their salvation (which contradicts many scripture passages jn 3:16, 36, 5:24, 10:28-29;  Rom 8:1)… we’re eternally secure!

2.) Backslidden Christian… 1Co 3:13… Fire will test the quality of every mans work… he himself saved…

3.) A “Professing Christian” claiming to be a disciple (branch) but is not necessarily a true follower

1. Wheat and Tare growing together (Mt 13)… looking like a Christian but are not… like Judas
2. A person can “seem” to be a branch in the Vine… yet no fruit, joyless, depressed, dead spiritually

Keep Truths for us to learn…

• The vine is Jesus Christ
• I am the branch connected to the vine
• The Holy Spirit is the sap that runs from the vine into the branch
• The branch lives, grows, and bears fruit not by performance, struggles or effort but simply by abiding

1. Luke 10:38-42… Mary and Martha, where Mary abided in the vine
2. Martha was so busy in service to Jesus she didn’t enter into her “rest”
3. When you walk through a vineyard, do you detect tension and struggle among the branches as they bear fruit?  No!  Instead there is a calm & confident resting - an abiding - as branches draw their life from the vine in order to bear fruit, bear more fruit, bear much fruit… As the Father prunes the branches – we mature, fruit of the Spirit seen, souls saved, lives touched… testing of your faith, Jam 1

With all of God’s riches, why do we live joyless, fruitless, defeated lives?

Why did the Lord teach about living in the Vine? 

John 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

• One of the first visible sign of drifting from God is the loss of JOY, especially about spiritual things…
• Joy is not based on circumstances, people, feelings, things but on a relationship in the vine with Christ
• Biblically living the Spirit filled life will break the shackles of sin and send the demons fleeing!
• Knowing that Christ Himself lives in and energizes us will literally empower you to heights unknown…
• You will begin bearing fruit of Spirit… your prayers are answered, people around you come to Christ…
• The great difference between present-day Christianity and that of which we read in the N.T., is that to us, it is primarily a performance; to the early Christians it was an authentic experience.
• Living the Spirit filled life is not about trying harder or doing more… but it is about surrender… Abiding

We must… (the HELP we so desperately need… living the Wonderful Spirit Filled Life)

• be in the vine…  Salvation, are you saved?  v5  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing

• Be Abiding in Dependence…   Surrender, are you yielded?  v4 As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me

Absolute KEY is this very last Point:

• Be Obedient to God’s Word…  Faithfully committed to follow ALL God’s Words  v10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love (you will abide)

Let’s Pray…