Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Welcome to the July 20 sermon from Clifford Baptist Church, 635 Fletcher's Level Road in Amherst. Today's scripture is Galatians, chapter 5, verses 16 through 26. And the sermon is entitled Faith that Walks in the Spirit, delivered today by Pastor Jeffrey Campbell. How many of you have been here? Maybe today is your first time joining us.
[00:00:19] We have been working our way through the book of Galatians, and in particular, Galatians. Chapter number five reminds us in three sermons that our faith doesn't fall, that our faith is called to love, and today that our faith should walk in the Spirit.
[00:00:39] And I want to start out with a little story that Billy Graham told, told of a guy that had a very stressful job. I don't know if many of you can relate to that, but this man had a very stressful job.
[00:00:52] And one snowy day, he worked his way home after getting off from work.
[00:00:58] He got home, he opened the door, he put his back down on the table, and he closed the door, and he went back out. And he said, the best thing that I can do today is just walk down to the bar and just get a drink, because that will help smooth everything and it will take the edge off of this day.
[00:01:20] As he walked to the bar in that snowy condition, he heard someone behind him.
[00:01:27] And as he slipped out the door of his house, his son followed him step by step in those snowy footprints.
[00:01:37] His dad turned around and said, son, what are you doing?
[00:01:44] The son simply said this.
[00:01:46] I'm following your footsteps.
[00:01:49] I'm following your footsteps.
[00:01:53] That father couldn't bring himself to take one more step towards that bar. He picked his son up, turned around, and went back home. The life you are leading, someone else could be trying to imitate, or you may be the one that is choosing to follow someone else's footsteps.
[00:02:13] But how do we as Christians live lives that walk and that are led and that are lived by the Spirit of God? And here is the challenge. As children of God, we must be children that try to imitate our Heavenly Father. It is so easy to look at the world and to live in the world and then to blame the world for all of your problems. But as believers and children of God, we are called to be led by the Spirit of God because we are different. We have something the world does not have. We have Jesus. Amen. What does faith that walks in the Spirit look like today? As we close chapter number five of Galatians, we are going to see that a faith that walks in the Spirit is in total dependence of leaning into what God has for your life and that you and I are called to do just that. Now, I want to set the record straight. A life that is led in the Spirit does not mean that you run around speaking in tongues. It does not mean that you run the aisles up and down. It does not mean that.
[00:03:27] It can mean that if you are of the Charismatic belief, it can mean that sometimes I lean more in the charismatic because sometimes the pews of the American church are filled with people that are asleep.
[00:03:40] And I would rather them run the aisles than sit there and stay sleep. But today, faith that walks in the Spirit is not necessarily one that you can visibly see doing all of these things that we read about in the Bible, but you should see a life that is lived in accordance to God Almighty. And so today, Galatians, chapter number five, we're going to pick up middle of the chapter, verse number 16, verses 16 and 17. As we look at these verses together, this I say, then walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
[00:04:22] For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary to the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
[00:04:35] A faith that walks in the Spirit. You're going to get five points today. I'm going to try to make them quick for you. The first one is this. A faith that walks in the Spirit is battle tested.
[00:04:46] Is battle tested when teaching on the fruits of the Spirit.
[00:04:51] I did that on a Wednesday night earlier in the year.
[00:04:55] I reminded our core group of prayer people that were here that this, that walking in the Spirit means that we are living lives that walk in the Spirit, that are led by the Spirit and that live in the Spirit. And here's what I want you to do. I don't know if you are right in your Bible kind of people. I am. It's okay. It's not a sin. If you write in your Bible, okay, I want you to know that.
[00:05:19] But in your Bible, in verse number 16, if you underline that word walk.
[00:05:26] In verse number 18 if you underline that word led.
[00:05:30] And in verse number 25, if you underline the word live and there's another walk there as well. Live and walk. In verse number 25, underline those four words because those are key words of how we live lives in the Spirit. You gotta walk in the Spirit, you gotta be led by the Spirit and you gotta live out life relying on the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, to guide you.
[00:05:53] That's the sermon today. Are you ready to Go home. Or do you want more?
[00:05:56] All right. You want more? Okay. Battle tested.
[00:06:00] Look at me, Christians.
[00:06:02] There's no way out of this battle if you are a child of God. There is no way to get away from the battle of the flesh and the Spirit. It wars on every single day.
[00:06:17] But here's what we believe. I believe. We believe the moment that you get saved, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in your life.
[00:06:27] Your body becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit and so it takes up residence in your heart and in your life. Paul says this to the Corinthians. He says this. Know ye not that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.
[00:06:42] Don't you know that the Spirit lives in you?
[00:06:44] So maybe you're here today and you just need a reminder as a believer that God's Spirit lives in you.
[00:06:51] And that reminder brings me to my knees.
[00:06:55] And as we live out these lives, we know the Holy Spirit resides in us. Then we need to live our life submissive to how the Holy Spirit leads us, not how we want to lead our own lives. And so that's the battle. The Spirit led life versus the fleshly life.
[00:07:16] Our will, what we want.
[00:07:19] This is not an easy.
[00:07:22] It sounds. And here's what I want to tell you, church.
[00:07:25] We should allow the Spirit of God to lead us because it is a spiritual battle.
[00:07:31] I can't fight a spiritual battle on my own.
[00:07:36] I don't know how people in the world do it without Jesus because I can't.
[00:07:42] I would be checked into some hospital long down the road if it weren't for Jesus.
[00:07:47] And so today, spirit led lives know that they are in a battle, but know that that battle will not defeat them because they have Jesus.
[00:07:59] If it weren't for Jesus, we would be in trouble.
[00:08:04] Verse number 17 says there's a battle taking place. And that battle is the flesh versus the Spirit and the Holy Spirit as he is battling the fleshly desires of our lives.
[00:08:17] There are times that the Holy Spirit wins those battles. And there are times in my personal life that I've let flesh win the battle. And more and more, here is the goal. More and more. The longer we are Christians, we should win those battles spiritually. More and more the flesh should not win. If you are a 20 year Christian, the flesh should not win over and over and over and over.
[00:08:44] God should win more of those battles than the flesh does.
[00:08:48] Now, if you are a new believer, sometimes the flesh outweighs God, but that should not last.
[00:08:56] No, it is a battle.
[00:09:00] Paul says this, that these two are contrary or opposite, or they oppose one another. God and the person of the Holy Spirit is leading you not to do the things that your flesh wants to do. And this is a never ending battle. When you walk in the Spirit, you can't feed the desires of the flesh.
[00:09:27] So we understand that temptations happen. Shake your head, Amen.
[00:09:33] But the God who lives in us doesn't allow that battle to become victorious for our flesh.
[00:09:41] So here, looking around, just do me a favor, look around a little bit.
[00:09:45] The people that are sitting next to you are going through fleshly battles too.
[00:09:52] It's okay to acknowledge that. It's okay to acknowledge that I'm fighting a battle and I need somebody to pray for me and I need God's help.
[00:10:01] But here is the goal, that God wins the battle, not to let the flesh win the battle.
[00:10:10] So people who walk in the Spirit are battle tested.
[00:10:15] They have faced the battle. They may have fallen before, but Jesus comes out victorious more times than not.
[00:10:23] Point number two, look at verse number 18.
[00:10:27] But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
[00:10:33] Faith that walks in the Spirit, not only is battle tested, but it is spirit directed. Spirit directed is point number two.
[00:10:43] And he addresses the challenge in the Galatian Church.
[00:10:48] The challenge of living under the law or the influence of the law.
[00:10:53] Or do we live under the influence of the Holy Spirit?
[00:10:56] Paul reminds them this. If they are led by the Spirit, then they are led by the God of the law.
[00:11:04] You think following these rules makes you religious? No. What makes you religious is that you've got God himself living in you.
[00:11:14] And so we then are spirit directed.
[00:11:19] Hebrews 10 says this.
[00:11:22] I will put my laws into their hearts and into their minds will I write them. And their sins and iniquities, I will remember no more.
[00:11:34] Verse number 17 suggests that the battle between the Spirit and the flesh is real.
[00:11:40] But verse number 18 suggests this. Not everyone in the church is being led by the Holy Spirit is not being led by the Spirit. And so Paul must address this issue.
[00:11:55] If you are led by the Spirit, you have an inner direction that steers your Life.
[00:12:02] Verse number 17 is a warning of battle. Verse number 18 is the recommendation that you surrender to the Spirit's leading. Look at verse number 18. Again, it says this. But if you be led by the Spirit, that little word if suggests that there are people that are not being led by the Spirit. But it also suggests that you should be led by the Spirit. It's a recommendation. And so today, even in Clifford Baptist Church, look at me. Church.
[00:12:35] Not everyone walks in the Spirit.
[00:12:38] There are times that you may even look at your pastor and you may see me stumble and fall because I chose the flesh.
[00:12:48] I'm still human.
[00:12:50] I'm not perfect.
[00:12:51] But here's my goal to understand that my life directs a lot of lives. So Jesus must direct my life.
[00:13:00] Spirit directed allows God to lead. And we're gonna get more to that in just a second. But this is not a one time surrender.
[00:13:10] I'm not asking you. Did you pray a prayer when you were younger and did you surrender your life to the Lord? No. Surrender is an everyday choice on our behalf and so we must surrender every day. Just because you battle today, the battle tomorrow may be different. Just because you surrender today doesn't mean you will surrender tomorrow.
[00:13:31] And so here is the challenge for good Christian people is that we surrender to the Lord daily, to his leading on our lives.
[00:13:42] And it's amazing what God will do with spirit directed people and spirit directed lives.
[00:13:50] Sometimes it is hard, but we are called to do it as people of God. Battle tested, spirit directed.
[00:14:00] Look at verses 19 through 21.
[00:14:04] Now the works of the flesh are manifest.
[00:14:08] Which are these?
[00:14:10] Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revilings, and such like of the which I tell you before, as I've also told you in times past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of. Of God. Church. Strong words.
[00:14:40] If you live life by the flesh, you will not benefit from godly promises or godly places because you have chosen to live an ungodly life.
[00:14:54] These are very tough words.
[00:14:57] Faith that walks in the spirit rejects desires. So point number three, our desires are rejected.
[00:15:07] Desires rejected.
[00:15:09] Now you look at this list in one or two ways.
[00:15:13] You look at this list that I just read and you may sit there and say, man, I'm glad I ain't one of those, but did you used to be? You may look at this list and say, okay, I can identify to one or more of those. I'm gonna break them down real quick because here's the reality. They touch our lives.
[00:15:30] And where and who we are letting lead our lives will depict what comes out.
[00:15:36] Desires are fruits, and that's where we're going with this.
[00:15:42] When we think of desires being rejected, there is an inward battle raging between the flesh and the spirit. But there is an outward display of what is going on in the inside.
[00:15:55] And that's what people See, you and I, look at me. We are not judges, but we are called to be fruit inspectors.
[00:16:07] And what you are inspecting and what you see of others lives should tell you what goes on inside of their life.
[00:16:15] So I don't stand here in judging you.
[00:16:18] We're not called to judge. There's one. It is the Lord Jesus Christ and him alone.
[00:16:23] But when we are called to reject the desires of this world, there are 17 words that Paul uses to show us what fleshly things look like.
[00:16:36] They are broken up into four groups by biblical scholars. And those four groups are these.
[00:16:43] There are sensual things, there are religious things, there are personal things, and there are social things.
[00:16:52] And so this is not an exhaustive list, but I'm going to address these real quick.
[00:16:57] What about the sensual things? Look at verse number 19.
[00:17:02] Now, the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these? Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, and lasciviousness.
[00:17:13] These sins have always been an issue.
[00:17:18] 2025 is no worse than Paul's day.
[00:17:22] When we think of sensual things, we think, oh gosh, our world has gone to. No, no, no, no, no, no. Back in Paul's day, sensual things ruled the world, just like today, sensual things rule the world.
[00:17:39] And so it is no different, it is no worse.
[00:17:43] Sexual immorality, Adultery is listed here. And I will say this, maybe you're using a version outside of the King James or the new King James. Adultery and murder are not listed there because they use different manuscripts. Not that that's bad, they used updated manuscripts.
[00:18:01] But what is adultery?
[00:18:03] Adultery is stepping outside of marriage for someone else.
[00:18:08] That's wrong.
[00:18:09] I don't care how you carve it. I don't care what excuse you use. Stepping outside the bonds of a godly marriage for someone else is wrong. Wrong according to God's word. And it is a fleshly, fleshly result.
[00:18:28] Fornication is mentioned here as well.
[00:18:32] So listen to me. Sex outside of marriage is wrong. And sex before you get married is wrong.
[00:18:41] Fornication, this word covers anything that happens between a man and a woman outside of marriage. It is wrong.
[00:18:50] It also covers same sex, homosexuality. It is wrong.
[00:18:55] It speaks to that broad category that these things are sensual, but they are wrong.
[00:19:02] It is wrong.
[00:19:06] What about uncleanness?
[00:19:09] That doesn't mean that you didn't take a shower today.
[00:19:13] And I want to say this, that's wrong too, if you got the beans too.
[00:19:20] Uncleanness, it is the word which we get pornography from.
[00:19:30] It is sensual.
[00:19:32] It connects our actions to those suggestions of the sexual scene of pornography. Those Things are not right.
[00:19:42] Lewdness speaks to the openness or the lack of shame that sin brings.
[00:19:49] All of these things are wrong.
[00:19:51] If you are watching a movie and something happens in that movie that causes you to blush and you don't blush or you don't turn your eyes as a Christian, something's wrong there.
[00:20:02] And if you're watching it with your kids, something's definitely wrong there.
[00:20:08] That's what lewdness is. It's the disregard that this is not right. But we're going to let it happen because everybody else is doing it.
[00:20:18] These sensual sins were in the church that Paul is writing to.
[00:20:26] Do you understand that?
[00:20:28] And they led the day.
[00:20:32] The second category is religious.
[00:20:35] I've got to speed up. I know the time.
[00:20:37] Look at verse number 20.
[00:20:39] Idolatry and witchcraft are in that category of religious sins.
[00:20:45] So worshiping anything or anyone outside of Jesus Christ, the God of our Bible, is wrong in God's eyes. Rejecting God for another God or rejecting God for other things is wrong.
[00:21:03] And it is fleshly.
[00:21:05] It takes away the holiness of who our God is.
[00:21:10] The third category is personal and verse number 20 through 21, the worst. Hatred and variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings and murders.
[00:21:24] All of those speak to our attitudes and actions toward God and toward others.
[00:21:30] How many of you know it's wrong to kill somebody?
[00:21:35] Can you testify by raising your hand?
[00:21:38] If you walk out here and shoot somebody just because you feel like it today, that is a sin.
[00:21:43] But if you talk about somebody and spread untruth, that's just an important sin, is murdering somebody.
[00:21:50] And so here's the battle. These personal sins, these nine examples of how our attitudes and actions are sinful before God, but harmful to others that are around us.
[00:22:04] You know what hatred is?
[00:22:07] Hatred begins in the heart and bleeds to everything else.
[00:22:11] And so when you harbor hatred, you harbor that. And that is a sinful thing that is called out in the church by Paul.
[00:22:21] It has ripple effects.
[00:22:24] Variants are quarrelsome. Anybody that you've ever met that has the argumentative spirit.
[00:22:30] That's what we're talking about. If you are a person that has to win every argument, that is not right.
[00:22:36] That is the wrong spirit to have as a Christian.
[00:22:40] Wrath, outburst of anger. You lose your temper very quickly.
[00:22:47] It's named here emulations or jealousy, the desire to have what someone else has. And envy, upset that you don't have what they have, but you hope they lose it.
[00:23:01] You mad because somebody else is doing better than you and you hope they Fall down and fall flat on their face and they're not successful because you want what they have.
[00:23:11] Do Christians do that?
[00:23:13] Absolutely they do.
[00:23:17] These are hard things.
[00:23:20] What about strife?
[00:23:23] That selfish ambition for your own benefit, Sedition or desertions? You won't come together. If you are in a church where you just won't come together with your brother or sister, something's wrong with you, not the church.
[00:23:37] Something's wrong with you.
[00:23:40] You have that spirit.
[00:23:43] Heresies.
[00:23:47] You believe everyone else is wrong and you've set your ways. Don't you elbow your husband right there. Okay, we're setting our ways. Nobody else is right but us.
[00:23:58] And that's what we're going to believe.
[00:24:03] Strife, seditions, heresies, murder, taking a life because you just want to.
[00:24:11] Paul is not only identifying these actions as fleshly fruits, but identifying them as sin. That must be avoided. And if you are partakers of these, he is a promise that you will not inherit the kingdom of God.
[00:24:24] Can you be forgiven of these things? Absolutely. By the grace and the blood of Jesus Christ.
[00:24:29] Now look at me, Church.
[00:24:31] These things should be avoided.
[00:24:35] This is the list of things that as Christians we should avoid.
[00:24:40] There's one more category and that is social.
[00:24:43] And I'm going to directly address this. Look at the last two at verse number 21. Drunkenness and revelings or violence. However you say that, however you choose to say that, it is the mindset of a drunken party.
[00:25:02] So drunkenness or drunken party.
[00:25:04] Why do I need to speak to that?
[00:25:07] Because it happens.
[00:25:10] Flesh leads people past the boundaries of what God has put into place.
[00:25:15] And people have a do as I please attitude.
[00:25:18] And these are not spirit led people.
[00:25:21] What we have here is a warning about drunkenness, do as you please parties.
[00:25:28] These are not examples of spirit led or God led people.
[00:25:38] How many of us know or have been in this situation?
[00:25:47] Drunkenness.
[00:25:49] You can sit here and argue with me from your Bible.
[00:25:53] The Bible says it is okay to drink.
[00:25:56] And I will not argue with you because the Bible gives permission in moderation to have a drink to benefit you health wise.
[00:26:08] But here's what I want to say as your pastor.
[00:26:12] I'm called to something higher than that.
[00:26:16] I'm called to give the example because here's what I've done. I've been there and I know that that being able to drink in moderation is hard for some people.
[00:26:33] I don't drink one drop.
[00:26:40] I do that for my two boys because they're following in my footsteps.
[00:26:47] I do that for my church family because I'm looking at some faces that when they see an alcoholic beverage, they can't control themselves.
[00:26:57] And just because you have permission to do it, they can't control themselves. If they see me doing it, they're gonna say, oh, the pastor's doing it. It must be okay.
[00:27:08] The Bible tells us that we are not to be stumbling blocks as believers.
[00:27:13] So those people that struggle with alcohol, they don't need an excuse to run to it. They need an example to run to Jesus.
[00:27:22] And that's what I want to be.
[00:27:25] Jesus has given me the greatest high than any beer can ever do. And I'll go to heaven proclaiming that.
[00:27:33] Don't drink a drop.
[00:27:36] Put that as your goal and God will bless you for it.
[00:27:43] That is not to say that my boys won't go down that road or the people that I love don't go down that road.
[00:27:51] But I can only control Jeffrey and I can only control what example I set for the people that see Jeffrey. And I don't want to cause my brother or sister to stumble.
[00:28:05] You may disagree with me in this area, that's okay.
[00:28:11] But I would hate to be there one day and somebody said, you caused me to stumble.
[00:28:23] Drunkenness is real and it is a sin.
[00:28:28] And the partying that associated with it is wrong in the eyes of God.
[00:28:36] You control those conduct. I know I got a little emotional there.
[00:28:41] I'm not going to apologize for it because I feel that strongly about it because you set the example for your family and for others.
[00:28:51] And we're called not to do that.
[00:28:58] What about these desires?
[00:29:02] We're called to reject them.
[00:29:05] Everybody on board.
[00:29:07] If you don't reject the fleshly desires, you will be rejected one day.
[00:29:12] That's what this says.
[00:29:17] Look at verses 22 and 23.
[00:29:22] Y' all see that little three letter word there? But man, that puts a smile on my face after reading that list.
[00:29:28] But there's a good side to this church.
[00:29:31] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law.
[00:29:40] Point number four today in the lives of Spirit led people, fruit is expected.
[00:29:48] Fruit is expected.
[00:29:51] The evidence of Spirit's work in your life should not be that of what we just covered, but should be that of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. And Paul says there's no law to govern any of that because it is God produced. Look at me, Church. You can't produce this on your own. You can't produce this apart from God. It must be his work in your life.
[00:30:18] And so what do we look like as spirit led people who are producing the right kind of fruit. And and here's what I want to remind you. The fruit is not for you to enjoy.
[00:30:31] The fruit is for others to taste and see that the Lord is good.
[00:30:35] Others taste of the fruit that comes from your life.
[00:30:39] And when they see that God is working in your life, they want what you have.
[00:30:44] They desire that fruit. They are beneficiaries of the fruit that is produced through your life.
[00:30:52] So spirit filled people should love.
[00:30:59] We go back to last week's sermon. That's what that sermon was all about.
[00:31:03] But why do we have to tell church folk that they need to love one another?
[00:31:07] Because we are human and that battle is raging.
[00:31:11] It is under that umbrella of love that we can reach out with God's love.
[00:31:17] And so in doing so, love, joy and peace should be evidences that God is living in your life.
[00:31:28] I'm grateful that under the umbrella of love the other eight fruits come.
[00:31:34] Without love, it's hard to produce the other fruits.
[00:31:40] And so with that said, when we think about loving one another, loving God, the people of God should emulate his love wherever they are. And I'm not going to re preach last week's sermon. That doesn't mean you accept everything. That doesn't mean you agree with everything. That means you lovingly address those individuals and those things.
[00:32:04] But love, joy and peace prevail in situations where people are not lovable, people are not joyful and people are not peaceful because God is present with you.
[00:32:20] Do you have someone in your life that's hard to love?
[00:32:25] Just do this.
[00:32:29] We all have those people.
[00:32:31] You're not called to leave them alone. You're called to love them and model Jesus to them.
[00:32:41] I'm not going to get to joy.
[00:32:43] But if you can't sing worship songs about Jesus with a smile on your face, something's wrong.
[00:32:49] I'm not talking like you got to be Jeffrey all the time. Okay, you don't have to be overflowing and overjoyed. But you should carry a joy that Jesus changed your life and you should have a peace in your heart that no matter what goes on around you, he is in control.
[00:33:07] If you're lacking these things, you may be lacking the relationship you need with Jesus very quickly. I'm going to cover the nesses real quick. Is what I call them kindness.
[00:33:18] You need to be kind and compassionate with people.
[00:33:24] We should have compassion.
[00:33:26] Those that are believers and non believers, goodness.
[00:33:31] We should be generous, expecting nothing in return, faithfulness to continue to serve the Lord and faithfully to serve one another. You need to be trustworthy, you need to be dependable. That's what marks a Christian's life.
[00:33:54] Gentleness is an attitude and a heart that is teachable, but not demanding self control.
[00:34:05] Not only in the ability to control ourselves, but also to look out for others.
[00:34:11] Here's what I'm saying.
[00:34:14] The fruit that is expected from the Christian life should not look like fleshly fruit. It should look different.
[00:34:24] Because you are different.
[00:34:26] Because you have Jesus.
[00:34:30] One more point as I close this sermon. Verses 24 through 26 and they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another.
[00:34:53] When I think about this last point, Lives should be affected Church as a Christian, if your life has not been affected by the hand of Jesus Christ, by the life of Jesus Christ, and you aren't producing those fruits, something's wrong.
[00:35:12] Your life should be affected. But here's the truth. Others lives should be affected by your life as well. Not none of that can happen until what Paul says in verse number 24. Until the flesh is crucified, we must die to ourself and we must live for Jesus. We are called to action to do this.
[00:35:39] The word walk here in verse number 25, a different walk than is used in verse number 16.
[00:35:51] Verse number 16, when they talk about the walk, it's used to speak about daily conduct.
[00:35:57] In verse number 25, the word walk, walk in the spirit. It is a word that means step by step.
[00:36:12] Just like that little boy that followed his dad to the liquor store in the snow.
[00:36:16] Step by step.
[00:36:21] One of the joys that I have in performing weddings is to celebrate with those, the couple that's getting married.
[00:36:30] Those are the only times that Jeffrey will attempt to dance.
[00:36:37] I usually pick a slow, mushy song and say, terry, here's your one shot. Let's go.
[00:36:45] Sometimes I dance with Terry in the kitchen.
[00:36:52] I'm no expert dancer, I want you to know that. Okay.
[00:36:57] But after 20 years of marriage, when she grabs me and I grab her, all I have to do is take the first step.
[00:37:08] And she follows that step wherever I lead.
[00:37:14] We've done this before.
[00:37:17] She lets me lead and she follows my lead.
[00:37:21] And it is. I don't know about you, but for us it's a beautiful dance.
[00:37:30] That's the language Paul uses here.
[00:37:34] Christians we need to grab onto the Lord. We need to grab onto the Holy Spirit and just allow him to lead our lives.
[00:37:44] And all we are doing, we're hanging on to his leading, and we are following him step by step, wherever he leads.
[00:37:56] People that walk in the spirit can't boast because it's not on their own.
[00:38:02] It's God leading them.
[00:38:06] Today, as I close this sermon, I don't want you to think about Jeffrey dancing with Terry. I want you to look at your walk with the Lord.
[00:38:15] If the Holy Spirit has residence in your life, have you given him the lead?
[00:38:22] Is he allowed to lead and is he allowed to move you? And will you follow where he leads you?
[00:38:30] That's the question of the day.
[00:38:34] Maybe you're here today and you said, I've been living a life outside of walking by the Spirit.
[00:38:44] Today you can change.
[00:38:46] All you have to do is come to the Lord, surrender, look to him, and let him lead you today.
[00:38:56] Christian, here's my question for you. Is the Holy Spirit leading?
[00:39:02] If he's not, then you can't be walking in the Spirit.
[00:39:11] Maybe in this room, in this crowd, watching Livestream today, maybe there's somebody in this room that just needs to take the reins of life and drop them and grab onto Jesus and say, lord, I want you to be my savior because I'm unworthy, I'm guilty of the punishment of sin, I'm guilty of death. But, Lord, you took my place on that cross.
[00:39:34] I want to surrender my life to. To your leading today, and I want to do that through a personal relationship with you today.
[00:39:44] If you'll turn away from that sin and turn to Jesus and let him lead your life. Here's his promise.
[00:39:52] He will do it.
[00:39:54] He will do it.
[00:39:57] Church, how is the Holy Spirit ministering to you now?
[00:40:03] What is he calling you to do?
[00:40:05] Let him lead.
[00:40:07] Let's pray.
[00:40:09] Father. God. Lord, thank you for the blessing of this day and the gift of it.
[00:40:13] God, thank you for an opportunity to worship you.
[00:40:16] Lord, I thank you for the families that are represented in this room today in only the way that I can. God, I thank you for the encouragement from those families.
[00:40:25] God, you know, in this room, Lord, there's those battles that are raging not only with the world, with the things that we desire, Lord, the things that are going on in our lives, the raising of our families, the battles of health difficulties, all of those are present in this room today.
[00:40:44] God, if somebody will just turn loose of their own strength and surrender to you today.
[00:40:50] God, thank you for the great promise that you will lead Lord, for that Christian that's given evidences of anything but Jesus, convict them and turn them to you fully. Lord God, thank you for what you're going to do and we just give you this option, opportunity, excuse me, to work in these moments.
[00:41:13] God, I just want to pray for those families that are hurting in this room today.
[00:41:18] The family that's fighting the battle with cancer, the family that's fighting the battle of a surgery with unknown. The family that is dealing with kids, the family that's dealing with a loss.
[00:41:30] God, just encourage them with your faithfulness today. God, I pray Lord, I pray they let you lead their lives.
[00:41:37] Thank you for your great love for us and may we be a blessing as we walk in the spirit that others will taste and see that you are good and you are God. We love you. In Jesus name, amen. Clifford Baptist Church invites you to join us for worship every Sunday morning at 11am for more information about our church, please call our church office at 434-946-0555.
