I’m Not Growing in the Fruit of the Spirit. What Should I Do?

I feel like I'm not growing in the fruit of the spirit. What should I do that is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us right now with your question.

At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673.

You can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts. You can watch us right now on YouTube course you can always email us your question at questions@corechristianity.com will first up today let's go to glory glory what your question for pastor atrial hi, thanks again for always being here when I have a question I work with first responders weekly firefighters and sometimes they have to respond to tragic calls you know where there's � were someone's been attacked or yell something violent or mostly death related. There's not always a chaplain that could respond to help the community member and oftentimes please please are firefighters young to extend some kind of comfort. What passages in the Bible, if any, would you specifically recommend for first responders to share with the community they serve glory.

That's an excellent question reminds me of early on when I was pursuing ministry. I was interning at a church was it was before I had ever been ordained and I we got a phone call at the church from a member of our church worked in Children's Hospital here in Southern California I and San Diego and there was a family there who suffer the loss of of one of their their little girls and it was just absolutely tragic.

It was four-year-old little girl and there was no chaplain on site and so they were looking for someone to come in and and none of the pastors were available. So I was actually one who had to go. I was wrestling as I was driving over your future you're trying to think through in a moment of tragedy like this. What words but I will what words can I possibly share what can I possibly do in order to bring comfort in situations like that. Sometimes I think you Jim, just depending on on the context. Intensity duties go to the family put your arms around them and you weep with them in the possible talks about this weeping with those who weep and I and obviously I'd I think it is good to pray and that was one of the things that I did. And in that situation, so you lamenting with the family you're praying with the family you think about what the apostle Paul said to the Thessalonians. You know, especially were confronted with death. We we have sorrow but we don't have to sorrow as those who have no hope because we do have the hope of the resurrection of the dead. And if you're looking for one verse in particular, especially when were thinking about this question of suffering and death. Think about what Jesus said to the sisters, Mary and Martha in John chapter 11 there brother Lazarus had just died and Jesus goes to them to comfort them that he's about to raise Lazarus again from the dead.

It's this it's this miracle that he does. Many of the Jews who were there we saw the they believe in him. But Jesus says to to the sisters in John chapter 11 verse 25 he says I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this in and she said yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the son of God who is coming into the world and so you know we we lament, we mourn but I think we can also point to passages of Scripture that fix our eyes on Jesus and on the hope of the resurrection, and ultimately that hope is found in him and in the midst of our comfort in the midst of our suffering. He's the one who can give us comfort by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

This is what the apostle Paul said to the Corinthians as well and so so yes that that's one verse. Certainly other passages of Scripture that you could go to in the Psalms.

If you look at the Psalms of lament glory in in the Old Testament.

Oftentimes those with the Psalms that were written when the psalmist was going through something very difficult, often a tragedy may be death, suffering, persecution, those kinds of things and edit 30 gives words to those who are suffering because so often in the midst of intense suffering, like that we at week 2000.

We don't have the words I do know what to pray. I don't have anything to say to God, I'm frustrated. I'm broken and to go to a place like Psalm 22 where we cannot align our prayer with the psalmist and say my God, my God, why have you forsaken me why are you so far for me from the words of my groaning. You know it.

Passages like that I think of words to our suffering and yet there's also faith. There's also hope were calling on the Lord lamenting before him putting our hope in him I think are good places to go and so yeah a really important question, glory, and thank you for the work that you do and may the Lord bless you and in awe as always, thank you for giving us a call. This is core Christianity when pastor.

Thank you. Glory score Christianity with pastor atrial Sanchez and we would love to know what you have to ask about the Bible or the Christian life.

Here's the phone number to call 833.

The core of the phone lines will be open for the next 20 minutes or so.

That's 833-843-2673 let's go to a voicemail that came in regarding the passage in John chapter 6 John Campbell and come back with Ashley and Jewish time. We know that the Old Testament law bearing against blood and making sure you then unclean, but very truly I tell you, but you know like any thing very truly, we know from dark laxity great that very truly mean thinking metaphorical benefit now but later on and burst out that teaching is we have to know that you chase after people delete button that lets them leave them. Thank you for how you can explain why we would take this metaphorically really appreciate your question sister and me to say one thing that that I appreciate about your question is that I'm assuming you're referring here to the way we understand the Lord's supper. In particular, do we experience the real presence of Jesus with us when were taking communion or is it just the sort of symbol this this empty sign something about you, me first and foremost, remembering what Jesus is done, but there really is nothing unique.

Nothing special about the sacrament about this ordinance that Jesus gave to the church when he said this is my body given for you. This is my blood. The blood of the new covenant shed for the forgiveness of many do this in remembrance of me and you and once as I want to say I'm with you in that if if we just understand that to be purely symbolic. It's this assertive ritual that we go through. It's not that big of a deal which is sadly how many Christians think of it, then there's a problem because when you look at the Scriptures.

Whether you're looking at the John's Gospel at the other Gospels.

At first Corinthians is very clear that there something more than just a sort of symbolic remembrance that's taking place in the Lord's supper that we actually have a very special communion with the body and the blood of Jesus Christ in the Lord's supper now again that the focus of this broadcast the focus of the show is we want to be biblical. We want to help people understand core Christianity and so the question is where can we go in the Scriptures in order to prove that point that there is a special communion that we have with the body and blood of Jesus in the Lord's supper. Well, just listen to what the apostle Paul said in first Corinthians chapter 10 verse 16. The cup of blessing that we bless is it not a participation in the blood of Christ, the bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ that were participation. It's the Greek word coined in the another words posting somehow in this ritual. In this meal that Jesus gave to his disciples, we have the body of Christ has a special communion with the body and blood of Jesus. Now the question is how and that's that's how we unpack.

You know John chapter 6 when when you're talking about you Jesus saying in verse 53 truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you, whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life that I want you to note that in the context of John chapter 6, a little bit earlier. Jesus says this in verse 47 truly, truly, I say to you whoever believes has eternal life worth believing is parallel to eating and drinking.

If you believe you have eternal life.

If you eat and drink my body and my blood. You have eternal life. That is, we receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ by faith through believing there is no one who who receives the true body and blood of Jesus apart from faith, that is, people can go through these these rituals through these ordinances through these sacraments in particular that the sacrament of Christ body and blood, but if they are faithless, they don't receive the body and blood of Jesus because Jesus is whoever believes has eternal life now. How is it that we experience the presence of Jesus that we commune with Jesus with his body and blood in the Lord's supper. Well, by the power of the Holy Spirit and the last thing I'll say is Jesus. I think makes is absolutely absolutely clear a little bit later in John and what we refer to as the upper room discourse. He talks about how he's leaving bodily he's going to ascend into heaven is no longer to be bodily present with the disciples, but there can experience his presence still how, through the Holy Spirit.

I'm gonna send the Holy Spirit to help her to come and to be with you and so I would say that the way in which we receive the body and blood of Jesus is by faith and through the power of the holy spirit. It's not that there is some transformation of these elements of bread and wine that Jesus gives to us that he gave to the church. The these are signs of a greater reality. Signs of his body and blood through which we receive the true body and blood of Jesus by faith.

Really appreciate your question sister thank you once so much for listening. The broadcast and for forgiven us a call when you're listening to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and as always you can call us and leave a voicemail 24 hours a day. If you have a question you can't get through during the actual live program.

That number is 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 and you can call during the show for 1/2 hour at 11:30 AM Pacific time, which translates to the 1230 mountain 130 Central 230 Eastern time for that half hour where live in the studio would loved love to get your call. Some radio stations actually are this program on a delayed basis. So that's when you want to call 1130 to 12 Pacific time. Let's go to jury in North Carolina jury. What's your question for pastor atrial hello I want to know what your thoughts about doing business with homosexual individual or a gay person, very professional, but is not something that we as Christians should not do or is that he or we can probably use this as a way to gain any debt, individual Jerry, thank you for your question. Think about our Lord Jesus as he was walking on the earth. The kinds of people. He loved and served and ministered to and sat with an eight with and drink with.

They were the kinds of people that the religious authorities of that day they just disdained it that you know they should have held their their head up high when they would walk by these people. They judged them sinfully and Jesus goes to them and he ministers to them and he he says he'll come for the righteous.

I came for the sinful and of course you know we we had this question on the broadcast before leasing in other ways, and we believe that homosexuality gay and lesbian relationships are sinful, that they're not condoned according to the word of God that God judges those things. And yet, here's what the apostle Paul said in first Corinthians chapter 5, beginning in verse nine. I think this is this is a real clear answer for you. I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people, not at all. Meaning, the sexually immoral of this world or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters since then you would need to go out of the world.

But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed or is an idolater revile her drunkard or swindler flint swindler not even eat with such a one, and so Paul says look we need to work in the world that were not of the world. You might've heard that that phrase before we don't need not interact with and love and do business with the people around us regardless of what their sexual orientation is that kind of thing we can. We ought to know God is the one who judges them and will is not our job to say that I'm not can it be around you because pulses if that was the case you have to just put yourself completely out of the world.

If the runaway to the hills. But God calls us to love our neighbors regardless of what they believe about sexuality, about politics, about the world to share the love of Christ with them. To be honest with them about God's word what's right what's wrong with sin what what isn't. But there's there's nothing wrong and I think that Paul makes it actually clear with doing business with someone just and in this or common world we live in. Who doesn't have the same view of sexuality that we do and so thank you for that question with the Lord bless you and in your relationships and help you to be a light shining the love of Jesus to the people around you. Jerry, thanks so much for your call and for the question. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez summer is practically here. Most kids are out of school right now or will be out of school shortly and just in time for summer. We have a great free resource for families. Yes, where were trying to encourage you all to memorize Scripture this summer with your family to to plant God's word deep in your hearts and then we have this this short resource 10 verses to memorize as a family this summer. That's free that we want you to take advantage of me another number of just verses that we go through 10 verses I one of them is Psalm chapter 19 verse one the heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork just meditating on the Scriptures friends so that we might grow in the knowledge of the Lord to get a hold of this resource. As I said it's for free and bills can let you know how to get hold of it just our website@corechristianity.com/offers and download it's called 10 verses to memorize as a family this summer.

Our family believes in Bible memorization. We do hope is do as much as we like, but well today.

It is so helpful in strengthening your face so check that out@corechristianity.com or you can call us for that resource or any one of our resources at 833 the court let's go to a voicemail we received from one of our listeners named Amber to have all the foundation Bible I was reimbursed on like the only thing I'm lacking in is love her brother.

I don't really know a lot of other Christian and even I go to church. I don't really know a lot of people I'm really introvert. I want to be able to have fellowship in church that Matt I don't really want brand in my life just because I really have trust issues, but I heard Thursday that it will pack that Capt. verse John with flying colors. They were doomed to hell. And though I'm always thinking I'm not a because I might lack in an area or to die was just alternating. You can shed some light on that I love God and I want to lick her him what I read always evident in the fruit that a Christian I lacking, and though it causes me to worry. Thank you so much. God bless you sister and let me just say you know anyone who says when it comes to God's law. I passed with flying colors doesn't really understand God's law perfectly because the reality is what God calls us to do something that we all fall short in what you feel is what every I think sincere believer believer in Jesus Christ feels we we see the law of the Lord's call to love.

Ultimately, love one another, even our enemies to love him perfectly with our oversold all of our strength.

With all of our mind. We think man know there are there moments were I feel like I'm really loving the Lord in their other moments where I really struggle with that and so that we begin to question you look at a book like first John and it talks about the sort of signs of you not have been born again. The signs of of of faith. Genuine faith that I think that's really poor but we have to understand the context of first John first John was written to a church where a number of people had had left the church that embraced basically heretical teaching in the heretical teaching them. They embraced centered on basically about bad Christology that is a bad understanding of who Jesus is. In first John chapter 4 verses one and following as well as the is a very low view of sin. John says in first John chapter 1 verse eight if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. The words were probably some people there in that day you know addressing that church thing. Look, we don't have anything to do whatever we want you know that there's no such thing as sin live however you want to be with whoever you want to be with you. God is knocking a judge of that kind of thing.

It it sometimes we call antinomianism that is lawlessness. So there was this heresy that was floating around at that time that was really minimizing the gospel, who Jesus was, what his work that he accomplished was as well as with the Christian life looks like it was just do whatever you want and John is responding to the anything. Look, if that's how your living if that's what you're thinking.

You're completely blind because when the spirit of God is at work in your life.

It does begin to produce love in your heart for the brothers as opposed to abandoning the abandoning the church, which is what some of the people and in first John were doing, we see that in first John chapter 2 but but it really is is encouragement and John gives this final encouragement also in chapter 5 verse 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life is not try to get them to question their salvation.

So what you better do this this this this and this and passed with flying colors. Otherwise, your you're probably not save know you think I want you know if you believe in Jesus Christ. If you're trusting in him for your salvation you have eternal life in a what does that look like was elected to walk with Jesus to know him well that the spirit of God begins to work in you to bear the fruit of the spirit through Jesus. And that's precisely what Jesus himself says in another place. Also thinking of John's writings in John chapter 15 option to read a couple of verses here because I think they're so beautiful in it such a good reminder for us as we think about how to bear fruit.

If you will.

Jesus said in John 15 verse four abide in me and I in you.

As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing sister as you rest in Jesus as you abide in Jesus in his word and Jesus himself. His life begins to flow in and through you and by the spirit of God. Christ himself bears fruit in and through you is not something was like I gotta just try harder and do more know it's as you draw near to Jesus. As you know him as you rest in his gospel and grow in his word, the spirit of God works the fruit of the spirit in you and so you can take comfort in that.

Thank you for calling us great response and a hopeful Amber that is helpful to you in your Christian walk. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Let's go to Ashley in Kansas City, Missouri Ashley what your question for April 2010 in regard to the Bible about alcohol drinking. I know and Dorian kill. I know he would an end and Job it says that he would pray for his son and daughters after they know when to party area. No celebrated or whatever and then I know and John John the Baptist mother, Elizabeth. You know that I think the angel told her not to train personnel I'm just confused. I didn't know if Christians are allowed to have wine or beer how that how that goes about and I was looking for some guidance on that think they think you actually really a great question.

And obviously there are a number of different views on this. In particular, but I think that the Bible is pretty clear here. Wine is never in and of itself condemned in the Scriptures, the abuse of alcohol is drunkenness is a sin. It keeps people from the kingdom of God. Men and of course, especially in the book of Proverbs. You have all sorts of wisdom there related to to drunkenness and and the foolishness associated with that and I'm sure we all you know you you know people we know people who have really been taken captive by alcohol, and abuse of alcohol and in it can destroy lives. It destroys families and so so we have to be wise and for some people it should just stay away from it 100% but but again Scripture never outright condemns alcohol in moderation. In fact, some 104 verse 14 it says you cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man oil to make his face shine, and bread to strengthen man's heart.

Think of the first miracle that our Lord Jesus did John chapter 2.

It's recorded where he went to a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and that the at the wedding. They ran out of wine and Jesus takes his water pots of of stone and he hasn't filled up and he turns the water into wine wine and the Bible says this drink of celebration is not to be at abuse, but it's a string of celebration. It's also a picture of God's kingdom. Isaiah when he talks about the new heavens and the new earth. The new creation EE pictures our existence.

There is, is it that being at this great feast.

This great banquet this great party with with the best food in the best wine and so it's a gift God gives to the world like all of his creation that we can enjoy when we don't abuse it, and so thank you so much for your question. May the Lord bless you.

Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers and the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673.

That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together