Godly Character

Today on Summit line with Jamie Greer spiritual help and for what to do with God. All what God has done for you. And when your soul has been captivated by what God is done for you. All these things the fruits of righteousness will grow out of you as naturally as great baptism at life with Greer. As always, I'm your host Molly benefits you question when was the last time you decided you were going to make a change for the better.

Maybe it was New Year's Eve. Or maybe it was after a fight with your spouse or reprimand at work.

Well, if you're like most people, that resolution probably lasted few days, maybe even a few weeks and then you were right back to where you started. So the question is is real permanent change even possible today. Pastor JD Greer describes the only path to genuine life transformation. And don't forget you can reach out to us@jdgreer.com or give us a call anytime at 866-335-5220. But for now let's join Pastor JD Greer as he begins this new message titled godly character Bible what you take it out of Dodge upper 50 John 15 gives you the essential components of the Christian life. One of things Jesus says in John 15 is that if you are alive in him you will produce fruits by this my father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. Bearing fruit proves that you are alive.

If you are not bearing fruit that means something is wrong. What Jesus is God giving you lots of analogies in the series, but here is another one I when I was in college, a good friend of mine. One of my best friends was a truly disgusting person. He lived off-campus at a house with some other guys and that house was a health hazard ought to have had like a brother to know what the wind because it was it was truly disgusting because you go in the house and they would have cereal bowls know how full milk and cereal not from that morning, but from days before you to suggest a course you know that that's not what you go in and end up all of the dishes were dirty, not some of the dishes all of dishes.

So whenever they needed a new dish that would take one out of a stock split the mold off of it.

They would wash and that's what they would use one of my friends, my good friend he him in his room. He had invented something says he invented the pile system for piles in his room. He said the close that I wash that was probably one of the worst of the one time it's not like it's dirty with things that are been worn one time, probably three was between four and five times because by that time you're starting to get you know on the on the south end and so you got something about watching, but then that goes from what I played.

That's what I wear when I played basketball so they don't call me before. That means it's time to be watched but is this what he thought was geniuses after it sits there for more than a week automatically upgrades a pile that was the pile system kind of a capstone for him was for all these guys that was this cat in the house who couldn't seem to get the litter box concept down and so it was it was disgusting and you will and that that that house and you just be assaulted by this aroma. Well my my friends mother about once a semester would come up she would come in with her rubber gloves and her Ajax and napalm or whatever and she would just going to talk about or see them on Sunday afternoon and when I would walk in their house when she had been there instead of the smell of putrid milk and Nonstop.

I would be greeted by Ajax women smell and stop walking on a Sunday afternoon and it smelled like molding Milken Poop in my friend said, hey, my mom got here on Friday, I would've said to him your life. Because if your mom and really, wouldn't smell like this because her presence makes a difference.

What Jesus is saying in John 15, eight is essentially the same thing you will prove that I've present in your life by certain things that are going to be true in view of those things are there. I'm not there, you get that introduced you is a tool that will help you understand what spiritual production looks like we we give it to the version of the wheel. Let me explain to you up here at the center of the wheel is the love for God that we have that's what the great commandment is we love God we love others right so that's here we say that you express that, according to John 15 you expressed that five different ways that kind of look like a wheel right when one is the word the word prayer and Bible study. We talked about that last week whenever children about what today is the development of Godly Character Way, #3 is being in community with the people of God. Number four is your growing in your Evangelism Commission Sharing Christ Way, #5 is generosity and those are things that began to happen.

As you grow in the gospel now. Don't make the mistake of thinking that if you don't really love God that you can fix that by just getting busy doing those things. That's what we call artificial change is like stapling roses onto a rosebush state will not make it alive. It just kind of ridiculous right so those things don't change your heart.

But if your heart is been changed.

You do those things to you single what changes are how do we develop a love for God.

Some of your like I want to love God, but I just don't write what that's what the gospel John 15 is the gospel is what transforms your heart so that you begin to love God, love for God in you is produced by dwelling on the love of God for you as you abide in the love of God for you. Love for God grows in you and then you begin to do those things. Naturally spiritual fruit just happens when you're in the gospel is the key to growing spiritually, we have said is not mastering a to-do list of things you're supposed to do for God. That's what everybody always thinks is like you all your life insurance is what you heard. This is what you gotta do for God to be spiritual spiritual growth. Real spiritual growth does not happen from a to-do list of what your to do for God by standing in all what God has done for you. And when your soul has been captivated by what God is done for you. All these things the fruits of righteousness will grow out of you as naturally as grapes on the grapevine today were to talk about godly character and how that develops Jesus introduces it in John 15, but I would take you to Galatians chapter 5 will go a little bit deeper because Paul takes this concept and he flushes about shows you what it looks like you hold your finger. John 15 what you flip over to Galatians chapter 5 Galatians is to the right of John in your Bible right what we call the epistles Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians about gender member that, by the way, GPC don't eat pork chops if you understand the meaning of Galatians reason for this blog.

I Galatians 516 the development of godly character go but I say to you walk by the Spirit, says Paul, you will not gratify the desires of the flesh, the desires of the flesh are against the spirit of the desires of the Spirit against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things that you want to do, but if you are led by the Spirit's you're not under the law. Verse 19 now the works of the flesh are evident, sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, competitiveness or selfish ambition, dissensions, divisions in the drug fitness orgies, and things like these avoid the temptation to read that list and think about them out there is not been out there.

These things are all present in our hearts is opening out there think right here. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Verse 22 but the fruits of the Spirit's is love, joy, peace, patient kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law, and those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires were going to see from these eight verses one were going to see a description of two different plants with two different fruits number two were going to see a command that we are given in the number three were going to see a warning about a lifelong struggle. That's what were going. A description a command and warning traversable one description of two different plants with two different fruits, the first one the first plant. Paul calls the flesh knowing Paul says the flesh, he doesn't simply mean the body. Flesh means the sinful nature it is our hearts when we are separated from the life of God see we were created for God and when we are not connected to God. Our lives are filled with all kinds of dysfunctions and deviant cravings like the ones on that list, impurity, sensuality, sorcery stripe at the bank or any drug is orgies, etc. those are all the fruits that grow out of our separation from God. We always think of these is like the ultimate sense orgies drunkenness. Yes, they are sins, but they are the result of a much greater and that is worshiping something outside of God. You see, cannot live for God is like dragging a wagon without wheels without wheels. You can move the wagon around from point a to point B, but in the process you went up beat it up started up the sea without God in the right place in your life you can do a lot of things you get married you have a family you can have a career you have friends. But what happens is it ends up tearing your soul apart because something that God was supposed to be in your life. You actually turned and began to look at other things to do that ends up disintegrating your entire life. For example, many girls are not in right relationship with God. And so they crave a guy's attention that God's attention becomes like God to them. They needed guys attention to feel like there were earlier their happy to give away their bodies in impurity because they only feel like they're worth anything when the guys paying attention to them see that impurity comes out of a craving that come from not being a right relationship with God. Some people worship money. What's the fruit of the worship of money, strife, people who worship money always have described fits of anger when their stocks are one right of people, let them down, anxiety. Those are the fruits of the worship of money. Some people worship their spouses attention and so become codependent. That leads to bitterness that leads to strife and all tennis it all the work sometimes. And the reason is because I want to be successful because I maybe successful people will admire me and talk about me. I want their approval to the worst of it in our my family are all fruits of the flesh, and these are things that are driven by the absence of God in our lives. Rear message titled nightly character. Did you know that her greatest joy comes when we are working overtime to impress God when were serving him from a place of gratitude. It's recognizing that he is the source all that were looking for. As we perceive other things to place in our new resource the gospel Bible study he wants us to see the difference maker is the gospel. This amazing gift that God has given us merely punch our ticket to heaven actually drives everything that we do as believers for your gift of $50.

This night will send you this video Bible study that comes with five Bible study guides give us a call today at 866-335-5220 or go online to Jeannie Greer.com to reserve this Bible study right now. Let's return to our teaching.

Once again, here's she will summarize the entire list to December 16. Use the Greek word that is a very important word.

The Greek word that summarizes the entire list is the word epic to media we translate that word in English as last when I say lost. You think pervert I say lost. You think sex but lust doesn't mean just the sex it's a deep soul craving. It's a craving for these things that we put in the place of God and that soul craving leads to the rest of that list, hatred, strife, drunkenness, orgies, the boredom that leads to pornographic addiction, sensuality, craving the attention of somebody who's not your spouse in the flirtation that leads to all these other simple Activities grow out of that apathy me to see the wall. Paul says the Lord of the words being commanded to change the law to help the problem. If your problem is that you don't love God and that you're not a right relationship to God, the law are being commanded to change your cut that out stop that can't really help because our core problem is that we don't have the right desires to God being commanded to love them big for God to help for a couple reasons one Paul says what changes are behavior, what the law might change her behavior in the next you change your hearts what I described for the first week is that is it. That was like a piece of metal, but I told you that if you been a piece of metal unless you feed it first so that it becomes malleable. If you need it.

Whatever you want to it, but if you don't heed it in your beneficial metal one of two things will happen when you take your hands off of it. It'll pop back up to the original shape or you'll bend it so that it breaks and I explained to you that when you and I are commanded to change by the preaching of the law. This don't do that. One of those two things happen starts when the external pressures are gone. We end up going back to our natural state, which is why some of you were different around this crowd been you are around other crowds because this crowd you conform to social norms here and then when that's gold band or backup your original state and original desires or you break spiritually where you say I've had it. I hate always been told that I'm just exhausted and you break spiritually below to change that heart. The other reason, the law doesn't want Paul will explain this because we end up commandeering religion to serve our sinful flesh to be a great example of this country. Sure, the guy who was on a college campus was very promiscuous that reputation just be a total Playboy unit when he when he swept the girls as it is for many guys. It was about more than what it was about identity, he gained an identity. He was kind of a man's man because he slept with all these girls for the guy goes through his junior year, a religious conversion experience gets involved in a Bible study man. He repudiates his sin. He repents to become the leader in their campus ministry, but something kinda graded you about this guy whenever you're around and he always had to be right always had to show you that his opinion was more insightful than yours.

He wanted to be the guy who the focus was on. He wanted to be the leader in the campus ministry to see what actually happened with that guy. What he did was he traded one means the power sex to another means of power, religion, it wasn't actually conversion to Christ. It was using Christ as a means to his original idol worship which was power seat when Karl Marx makes a statement like the quest for religious sentiment in the quest for power often go hand-in-hand is exactly right. Many people commandeer religion and use it in the service of their sinful flesh that he fears the Arctic Christians. A lot of times are blind to this got the sense I say sin in the church we think about, you know, drunkenness, sexually immoral, orgies. You see, the Paul puts jealousy, strife, gossiping, self-centeredness competitors in that same list. These are every bit the fruits of the flesh, the drunkenness and orgies are much different. We think about it.

I mean, you know.

Imagine that we were talking about a guy here, the church, a black man, that guy would make a great Christian leader we have in putting in leadership at our churchgoing promise as a drunken orgy every Friday night we like is totally ridiculous. Yet, we can point the church leadership teams all over the country that are dominated by strife, division competitiveness, those things we just try to turn a blind eye to assist you know I gotcha database is no fruit of the flesh and it comes from worshiping something besides God's law doesn't change our hearts what the law might curb our sinful behavior actually feeds on other parts see for example this religion a lot of times feeds a natural xenophobia that we have you seen the phobias, like the despising of other cultures. Racism why because we think that one of the many things that makes us superior to other cultures of the races affect. We got the right religion were right like this backwards barbarians. So when people make a statement like religion has caused some of the worst problems in the world. I tend to agree with them. See talking about religion. They're not talking about gospel shooters. A totally different type of plan. The Paul talks about which produces a completely different kind of fruit. This plant has its roots in the gospel. It walks by the spirit. Paul says the gospel is the story of how you and I deserve the wrath of God but instead of giving us wrath.

God in his love emptied himself of his divine glory, and came to earth to take our place on the cross to die in a place to rescue us.

Looking at the cross listen crushes our pride because it shows us what we deserve what you have, across ignites in our hearts. A passion for God because we see how good he is what he did to save us and what a treasure he is. It is impossible to really look at the cross and remain proud and self-centered. So when you buy in the gospel when you place yourself in the gospel, it produces a totally different set of things than religion dots and that's all second list. Love love love love is the Greek word agape that just means you have a general love for people. Not because of what they can do for you before love joy as the report Cara just means that the light that you have in God is not dependent on your circumstances. You're just overjoyed God's presence in your life or the treasury of peace recording array may piece it just means that you had the sense that all situations, even bad ones, that there is a loving God was in full control in his presence with you is all that you need patients is my favorite record, one of a macro for media because the sounds of irritated when you say that word patients, it just means that you actually forbear with others when they disappoint you, because you know how you disappointed God in your patient kindness means you just generally have good in your heart that flows out of the goodness is a Greek word that means integrity means that you just got all the way down it means we kill back the layers of your heart. There's not secret agendas and hidden motives and got hatred and jealousy is good all the way through, like an onion is keep Illinois goes all the way down faithfulness, faithfulness is a Greek word that literally means loyalty means you're not an opportunist means your principal driven, it means that you are loyal to gospel into people gentleness that the Greek word prow cost which literally means humility. It means that you're not something about yourself all the time your dog think about the good of others.

Self-control that that means that your bodily passions have been brought under a greater purpose. So whether were talking about sex or food or the desire to get even or the desire for recognition, all those things are brought under the greater purpose. These are the fruits of the gospel and Paul inches list by saying listen. Verse 23 I get such things there is no law saying by that you'll need a law for that kind of person. If somebody's dominated by love, joy, peace, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness you want to make laws for them that the essence of the person right is positive.

The gospel has produced that in you there's no more need for love God because God doesn't have to make laws for people who are filled in the heart with love, joy, peace, patient kindness, self-control because I see they have become the law of God, they love God and love others and there's a way for how they express that that's what the gospel produces say it produces godly character so that your description of two different plants are two different fruit. Here's your command number two, Galatians 516 but I say, walk by the Spirit that the artists just a minute with each other. What's amenable by the spirit. What does the Spirit do according to Jesus. John 1614 he glorifies Jesus by the Spirit means to walk with Jesus. Lord in your hearts.

The Holy Spirit makes the gospel real to you the Holy Spirit to walk by the Spirit means that you have the felt sense of the truth of the gospel in your life as you abide in that gospel as you're walking by the spirits in your field, the boulders, fruits, Galatians chapter 3, Paul says if you want to be billed by the spirit abide in the gospel is the doctrines of the gospel. The news of his generosity and your depression. Those things feel your heart, love, joy, peace, God is faithful to think about it. He was naturally a great time listening to some it might Bible teaching ministry of their author religion 80 Greer if you've missed any of the previous messages in this series you can hear them all free of charge. When you visit us@jdgreer.com Pastor Jenny what should we expect from your gospel Bible study that goes along with this teaching serious thoughts and eight session video-based Bible study. Is it something I did a little earlier in the ministry that has become seminal for all the teaching that I do here at summa life it's it's something we repeat so often hear some of life.

I think some of our listeners will really enjoy what I think might be the most transformative and powerful concept in the Christian life, which is that growth in Christ is not growth beyond the gospel, its growth deeper into the gospel. It will show you how to replace wearying religious practice with gospel centered transformation at a life of worship where where joy flows out of you what you love because of your saturation of the love of God for you, for the ways we always say here is the fire to do in the Christian life comes from being soaked in the fuel of what has been done to give you this whole kit eight sessions, five study guides go along with a copy of the book gospel we have a limited number of these gospel kits though so you want to go right now, today, right now to JD where.com and you can reserve your copy anything else you've been placed here on patient grace once found in the gospel Bible study today, your gift to the ministry focus our vision and mission with out the gospel every day in every way clear.com today to support Senate life generous donation rather calm our phone number is 6335 29 Molly benefits tomorrow and will continue learning transforms higher be sure to listen Thursday night