Sermons
February 21st, 2010 by Pastor Solley022110AM Let Us Walk In the Spirit.
Sub. A spiritual walk.
Theme: Things that hinder a spiritual walk.
Text: Gal 5:22-25
“Let Us Walk In the Spirit” Gal 5:22-25
IntroductionThe message this morning flows out of the final point of the message from last week. In looking at God’s threefold cure for weariness it was noted that one needs to walk in the power and grace of the Holy Spirit. – Gal 5:22-25 – We do not do the things named in verses 22 – 23 in order to walk in the Spirit, we do them because we are walking in the Spirit.
I. The spiritual walk that is to be found in the child of God can be seen throughout the Bible: When we speak of the Spirit filled believer, of bearing the fruit of the Spirit we are standing on New Testament ground. – Gal 5:25 This is a NT truth.
A. But the spiritual walk of the child of God can be seen throughout the Bible: The Holy Spirit did not come into existence on the day of Pentecost. The Spirit of God has been active in every dispensation, in every age.
1. It was the Spirit of God that came upon Samson: Giving him the strength to serve and deliver Israel.
2. It was the Spirit of God that departed from Saul: Taking away that same strength to serve and deliver.
3. It was the Spirit of God that set men apart in the days Ezra: And gave them wisdom in rebuilding the temple.
4. It was the Spirit of God that set apart Paul and Barnabas: And the great missionary work of the church was begun.
B. The child of God in and of every age is powerless to serve and walk with the Lord apart from the Holy Spirit of God: And so we are commanded to walk in the Spirit. – Gal 5:25 Every time the word Spirt is capitalized it does mean the Holy Spirit so we do see we as Christians are to walk in the Spirit. This is for the Christian alone.
1. I do believe this is the key to overcoming all the problems that we face in this world; walking in the Spirit: Not that walking in the Spirit will make us exempt from all problems but that a spiritual walk will lift us above the problems of life. So that whatever the problem, whatever the circumstance that we find ourselves in we find the Spirit of God lifting us above them.
a. Family problems: They can be faced as one walks directed by the Spirit of God.
b. Physical problems: They can be faced as one walks directed by the Spirit of God.
c. One can have the joy of the Lord in the face of the problems when found walking in the Spirit of God: I met a couple this past week who have lost two grandchildren to accidents. And they spoke of the love of God and joy of the Lord in the face of that. It was not pleasant for them but they were walking in the Spirit, they maintained the joy of the Lord.
3. Yet for many if not most professing Christians this is something that is foreign to them: It is something they hear about, something they believe but also something they have not experienced in their lives.
II. The reason being the hindrances to this spiritual walk that we have to deal with: And there are hindrances to walking in the Spirit. Satan is certainly a hindrance to walking in the Spirit. The world is a hindrance to walking in the Spirit.
A. But I think one of the biggest hindrances to the Christian walking in the Spirit is the Christian himself: Satan doers oppose this, the world opposes it, but I think the biggest hindrance to walking in the Spirit comes from the Christian himself.
1. That because of a lack of understanding on our part at times of the spiritual life and spiritual walk:
2. And that often is a result of a lack of teaching: At times I think we shy away from teaching on the Spirit of God and the spiritual walk of the believer because of the false doctrines of the charismatic movement.
B. This morning I would like to look at some of the hindrances to walking in the Spirit that come from within the Christian: Not things brought on by Satan but by hindrances brought on by the Christian.
PROP: If we can see the hindrances of walking in the Spirit. TS. It will help us avoid them. Three things this morning that can hinder a walk in the Spirit.
Body
I. Failure to realize it will take an effort on our part to walk in the Spirit becomes a hindrance to a spiritual walk: For some reason many Christians have the idea that the Christian life should be an easy road without effort at all on our part. Many read passages such as our text verse and think that if that is what God wants God will bring it to pass without any effort on our part. – Gal 5:25 That is what God wants so that is what God will bring to pass in our life apart from any effort on our part.
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A. My friend do you know that it is the will of God that all people everywhere get saved? 1 Tim 2:3-6; 4:10; Titus 2:11 Would you conclude from these verses that God wants all men everywhere to be saved? And I could add dozens of verses to these ones. It is the will of God that all people everywhere get saved. Jesus died for all and wants to save all from sin and hell.
1. But God will not make anyone get saved: Jesus Christ stands as the open door to heaven, the invitation is given and none who call upon the name of Jesus Christ will be refused. But God will not make anyone get saved.
2. God has granted us for better or worse free will in salvation: And a person can hear the gospel message, understand the gospel message, be convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit and still say no to salvation. God will not make anyone get saved.
ILL. I talked to a lady, 91 years of age on Thursday. She attended a CMA church for years. When I asked her if she knew for sure she would go to heaven one day she said very matter of fact, no…I shared the gospel with her and she said she completely understood that she was a sinner in need of salvation…Understood who Jesus is and what He did for her on the cross…Understood that if she didn’t get saved she would spend eternity in hell…And then said she did not want to get saved…When I asked her what was stopping her she said she did not know, she just was not yet ready to get saved…
3. Jesus Christ died for her, God wants her to get saved: But the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit will not make her.
4. I gave the gospel as hard as I have ever given that message in a funeral yesterday: But God will not make any get saved.
5. We have a free will in the matter of salvation: We do not work to get saved but we must decide to receive Jesus Christ.
B.. Neither will God force us into a spiritual walk against our will: I can show you verse after verse that it is the will of God for us to walk in the Spirit. John 6, John 17, Rom 8, Rom 12, 1 Cor 15, 2 Cor 3, Eph 2, Eph 5, Gal 5, 1 Pet 4 All detail walking in the Spirit. It is the will of God for each and every child of God to walk in the Spirit of God.
1. But God is not going to force a spiritual walk on anyone against his or her will: We have for better or worse a free will.
a. God will not force you or me to walk in the Spirit anymore than God forced King Saul. And Saul turned away.
b. God will not force you or me to walk in the Spirit anymore than God forced Samson. And Samson turned away.
c. God will not force you or me to walk in the Spirit anymore than God forced Demas. 2 Tim 4:10
2. For better or worse you have a free will to choose who or what you will follow: And many professing Christians chose to their own destruction to follow the world and self.
C. If you are going to walk after the Spirit it is going to take an effort on your part: Basic things we must do.
1. Be in the Bible and in prayer everyday:
2. Walk in obedience to the Word of God in all things:
3. Make a real commitment to the church:
4. Set self and the world aside:
D. Failure to realize it will take an effort on our part to walk in the Spirit becomes a hindrance to a spiritual walk:
II. Failure to realize that the Holy Spirit is a person becomes a hindrance to a spiritual walk: Some tend to think of the Holy Spirit as some sort of goof feeling or good force that will come upon them from time to time. A warm feeling of sorts. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. He makes up the third person of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
A. Now we understand that Jesus is a person: We understand that there was and is a historical Jesus. A real, living, breathing person that is Jesus Christ. We find Jesus of course in the Bible. Who He is, what he did and where He is today. But you also find Jesus in any encyclopedia, in any dictionary, in the writings and art work of men from ages past and still today. We have no problem believing that Jesus Christ is a real person.
1. In fact if you do not believe in a real Jesus Christ you cannot be saved: Jesus was not an ideal, not a force for good, not a legend, Jesus Christ is a real person, the second person of the Godhead, God in the flesh.
2. Because we know that Jesus Christ is real we find it easier to put our lives in His hands:
B. The Holy Spirit is a real, living, person as well, the third person of the Godhead: The Holy Spirit is just as real a person as Jesus. You say you have never seen Him. How many of you have seen Jesus? But they both are real people.
1. When you were saved and Jesus Christ came within it was actually the Holy Spirit that came to dwell in you: Rom 8:9
2. The Holy Spirit is able to speak just as Jesus spoke: Acts 13:2 When you hear someone saying that God spoke to their heart today it is actually the Holy Spirit that is speaking to them.
3. The Holy Spirit is just as much a person as Jesus Is: The third person of the Godhead. Only as one begin to recognize the Holy Spirit as a person can they walk with Him as they ought to walk. Think about that for a moment.
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4. When you see the Holy Spirit as a person you can walk with Him: Just like the disciples walked with Jesus.
5. When you see the Holy Spirit as a person you can dwell with Him: Just like the disciples dwelt with Jesus.
6. When you see the Holy Spirit as a person you can try please and obey Him: Just like the disciples with Jesus.
7. When you see the Holy Spirit as a person you can turn your life over to Him: Just like the disciples with Jesus.
C. Who is it that dwells within you today? Failure to realize that the Holy Spirit is a person will hinder your spiritual walk.
1. We take the Spirit of God with us everywhere we go: How often then does that grieve Him as it would Jesus?
2.The Spirit of God hears all that we say: How often then does that grieve Him as it would Jesus?
3. The Spirit of God has a part in all that we do: How often then does that grieve Him as it would Jesus?
D. Failure to realize that the Spirit of God is a person will hinder your spiritual walk:
III. Failure to realize that the Holy Spirit stands with us to help us in time of need becomes a hindrance to a spiritual walk: He is the comforter that dwells within us, the comforter sent to us to help in time of need. – John 16:7
John 14:16-18, 26-27 The peace of God that Jesus Christ has sent us, the comfort and strength He gives is the Holy Spirit.
A. Think of how much the disciples depended upon the Lord Jesus Christ: And think of how Jesus was there for them.
1. When they were in a ship about to be overcome by the raging sea they cried out to Jesus: And Jesus calmed the waves.
2. When they were had no food to feed the multitude they cried out to Jesus: And Jesus gave them abundant supply.
3. When they were is doubt and fear they cried out to Jesus: And Jesus gave them calm assurance.
4. When they had power to overcome the enemy they cried out to Jesus: And Jesus made them strong.
6. Think of how their lives were changed when they turned them over to Jesus: Unlearned men pulled down the strongholds of religion, fishermen were turned into evangelists and pastors, persecutors were turned into missionaries by the power of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
6. Every need that they had they brought to Jesus: And Jesus met the need, Jesus was the answer.
7. The Spirit of God has been given to you and me to help us live a life for Christ in this world: John 14:16-18, 26-27 He has been given to us, called along side of us, dwells within us to help us live a life for Jesus Christ in this world.
B. Think of the power of the Spirit of God as seen in the men of God in the Old Testament: 1 Sam 10:10 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him , and he prophesied among them. This is the way that the Spirit of God worked in the Old testament, coming upon men for times of service.
1. When Moses lifted his rod above the Red Sea it was in the power of the Spirit of God: And the sea parted.
2. When David ran out to meet Goliath it was in the power of the Spirit of God: And the giant fell.
3. When the three stepped into the fire in Babylon it was in the power of the Spirit of God: And they walked out unhurt.
4. When a farmer left his field and ran after Elijah it was in the power of the Spirit of God: And he became a greater prophet.
C. The very same power seen in those ones is within you and me today: 1 Cor 6:19-20 That is the reason the Apostle Paul under inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote the words “I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me”. It is the power of God within, it is the Holy Spirit of God that dwells within the born again believer in Jesus Christ.
1. Why then do so many Christians live such defeated lives? Because we fail to realize the person who dwells within us, who stands to help us, and we fail to turn things over to Him.
2. I hear people say they just can’t give up bad habits and God understands: Really?
a. The same one that stopped the mouths of lions couldn’t clean up your language if you gave it over to Him?
b. The same one who took the three from the fire couldn’t take you away from the alcohol if you turned it over to Him?
c. The same one who defeated the giant for David couldn’t defeat a craving for tobacco if you turned it over to Him?
d. This one couldn’t take away your desire to view evil things, listen to evil things?
3. I hear people say I just have no desire to serve and God accepts that: Really?
a. This one who turned Paul’s hatred for the church to a life given to the church couldn’t give you a desire to be in God’s house, to love God’s house?
b. This one who turned fishermen into apostles couldn’t give you the power to witness to just one lost soul?
c. This one who changed haters of the truth to tellers of the truth couldn’t change you?
4. You know what the problem is: We fail to turn our lives completely over to Him. Because of this when real trials come along it does seem that we are powerless to face them.
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D. Please follow this along even in the order it has been given it this morning: Speaking to the Christian.
1. If we have made no real effort to enter into a spiritual walk: If we just drift with the wind and follow the world. If we think “I am saved and on my way to heaven and that is all that matter to me”. And we make no real effort towards a spiritual walk.
2. If we live as if the Holy Spirit is just a force in our life from time to time: Not as if He is a real person who dwells within us, a person we can please and follow, or a person we can grieve and disregard. If we live as if He really doesn’t matter.
3. If we live as if we are on our own all the time: And think God understands and accepts my failings and still loves me, that God doesn’t really want anything at all from me. If we live as if we are on our own.
4. When trouble comes it is no wonder then that we don’t know what to do or where to turn:
a. It seems we can’t pray because we have seldom prayed.
b. We don’t know where to turn to in the Bible because we don’t know the Bible.
c. We don’t feel as if God is with us because we have never walked with Him.
d. The church is little help because we have never been a real part of it.
E. Failure to realize that the Holy Spirit dwells within you to help you hinders a spiritual walk:
IV. What then do we do in order to walk in the Spirit? Gal 5:25 These three things will take you a long way.
A. Realize that it is going to take an effort on our part:
B. Realize that the Holy Spirit is a person given to you: Just as real a person as Jesus is.
C. Realize that He stands along side of you to help you: And the power He has to change you and overcome the world.
Conclusion
Having looked now at the hindrances to walking in the Spirit I would challenge and encourage you to look within.
I. Failure to realize it will take an effort on our part to walk in the Spirit becomes a hindrance to a spiritual walk: For some reason many Christians have the idea that the Christian life should be an easy road without effort at all on our part. Many read passages such as our text verse and think that if that is what God wants God will bring it to pass without any effort on our part. – Gal 5:25 That is what God wants so that is what God will bring to pass in our life apart from any effort on our part.
II. Failure to realize that the Holy Spirit is a person becomes a hindrance to a spiritual walk: Some tend to think of the Holy Spirit as some sort of goof feeling or good force that will come upon them from time to time. A warm feeling of sorts. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. He makes up the third person of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
III. Failure to realize that the Holy Spirit stands with us to help us in time of need becomes a hindrance to a spiritual walk: He is the comforter that dwells within us, the comforter sent to us to help in time of need. – John 16:7
John 14:16-18, 26-27 The peace of God that Jesus Christ has sent us, the comfort and strength He gives is the Holy Spirit.