By: Dr Steven K. Parker
· What was your favorite thing about the grade / school year you just completed? Least favorite thing?
· Now that the school year has wrapped up what excites you about the summer? Does anything worry you?
· What has does a “normal” day look like in your house right now? How is that different from what used to be “normal?”
Hear:
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, 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. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:16-26)
Pause:
· According to Paul, what does a “normal” life lived for the “works of the flesh” look like?
· What does a normal life lived in God’s Spirit look like?
Reflection For Everyone:
This week we will be launching a new series on the Fruit of the Spirit titled Living into a Kingdom Normal, as we continue our online services and re-launch several in-person services. We are excited about building our online presence while resuming our in-person services with social distancing protocols in place. If you’re planning to come to one of our in-person services, please arrive just a few minutes before the service begins and wear a face covering for the consideration of others. These protocols can be frustrating and a little cumbersome for many. A lot of people are calling such practices “the new normal.” The idea is that some of these protocols will be common practice, at least in the coming months as we deal with this pandemic. That idea of a new normal is a very big part of our faith. We believe that there is coming a day when God will set right all that is wrong, make whole all that is broken, and bring heaven and earth together at last, as He intended in the beginning. On that day, in the fully realized kingdom of God there will be a kingdom normal that’s a lot different from how we experience life right now. Jesus says that on that day “the last will be first and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:16). Isaiah described that day saying:
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:6-9)
John describes a great heavenly vision in which he heard a great voice saying:
Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelations 21:3-4)
Given all that we’re going through right now with the Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic and all the racial and ethnic violence and unrest that has set our society ablaze, we long for that day and all the justice, peace, and healing that will come with it.
The scriptures remind us that we don’t have to wait for heaven to experience the kingdom that is described in these lines. In the coming weeks we’re going to look at Paul’s teachings about the fruit of the Spirit, because here he shows us some of the key ingredients that are of most importance in God’s kingdom. This spiritual fruit may stand at odds with life as we currently know it in the world, but these qualities will make perfect sense in the kingdom of God. How much of a difference will it make in the world now if we become so in tune with God’s Spirit that these qualities become the defining part of our story right now?
Wonder:
· What are the works of the flesh that Paul lists?
· What are the fruit of the Spirit?
· Think about how the latter become more and more a part of our story when we live in the Spirit.
Bless:
· Affirm what everyone has shared.
· Pray that God might help us to grow in His Spirit that our lives might more and more be characterized by the fruit of the Spirit.
Pray together:
“Father, we live in a world that is lost and broken. We acknowledge that we contribute to that struggle because we have sinned and fallen short of your glory. Forgive us for the ways in which we have failed to live into Your kingdom. Forgive us for the ways in which we have failed to live by Your Spirit. Help us to grow in Your Spirit so that His fruit might be on full display in our lives.”
We hope that you will join us online Sunday at 9:30 AM in Spanish and at 11:00 AM in English or that you’ll participate in one of our re-launched in person services: 9:30 AM Spanish Service in the sanctuary; 9:30 AM At Risk Service in the FLC (for folks 55 and older or with underlying health concerns); 11:00 AM English Service in the sanctuary. We look forward to worshiping with you!