CHOOSE THE LIFE
Relationships and the Committed
Life
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Relationships
and the Life
To rise above our
individual best we need to be in an environment which promotes relationships.
(The following quote used
with the Coleman Football Team) “OUR UNITY AND OUR RESOLVE ARE OUR GREATEST
STRENGTHS. DIVIDED WE ARE HALFWAY TO DEFEAT. UNITED WE ARE HALFWAY TO VICTORY”
The Legacy
13 You, my
brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the
sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14
The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your
neighbor as yourself." 15 If
you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed
by each other.
1. Vs
15 Love in action…love
of Christ and of others.
16 So
I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful
nature. 17 For the sinful nature
desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit
what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so
that you do not do what you want.
18 But if you are led by the
Spirit, you are not under law. 19 The
acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and
debauchery; 20 idolatry and
witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,
dissensions, factions 21 and envy;
drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who
live like this will not inherit the
2.
Vs.16-21 Life
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control.
Against such things there is no law. 24 Those
who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions
and desires. 25 Since we live by
the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26
Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each
3 Vs. 22-26 Spiritual fruit
4. Vs.
22-26 Accountability
5. Vs. 22-26 Godly priorities
Good Fruit
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.
People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes
from briers. 45 The good man brings
good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings
evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of
his heart his mouth speaks.
Environment
Ephesians 4:1-32 (NIV)
Eph 4:1 As
a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling
you have received.
2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient,
bearing with one another in love. 3 Make
every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit-- just as
you were called to one hope when you were called—
11 It
was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be
evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12
to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of
Christ may be built up 13 until we
all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become
mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed
back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching
and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
Vs. 14a We will have direction and purpose.
4.
Vs. 15 We
will not be easily
deceived but deal with deception.
16 From him the whole body, joined
and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in
love, as each part does its work.
17 So I tell you this, and insist
on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the
futility of their thinking. 18 They
are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because
of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have
given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity,
with a continual lust for more. 20 You,
however, did not come to know Christ that way.
21 Surely you heard of him and were
taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former
way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its
deceitful desires; 23 to be made
new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and
to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and
holiness. 25 Therefore each of you
must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all
members of one body. 26 "In
your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still
angry, 27 and do not give the devil
a foothold. 28 He who has been
stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his
own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of
your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their
needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And
do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness,
rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another,
forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Groups
Produce committed Christians