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LESSON TWENTY THREE (23)
TOPIC: THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (PART 1)
SUNDAY SCHOOL HYMN
1. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
O how I love Thee well,
I am happy, it makes me glad
To rejoice at Thy birth.
2. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Thy friend friendship suits me well,
Both young and will sing Thy song,
We long for Sunday School.
3. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Christ was Thy first teacher,
The Holy Spirit, great teacher,
Does manifest in thee.
4. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
This testimony is sure,
That God, the Father Almighty,
Poured His blessing on Thee
5. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Though the sun be so bright,
Or if the clouds be black with rain,
I’ll be in Sunday School.
6. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day
I rejoice to see Thee,
Will thou pass over me today?
Without my being blest?
BIBLE PASSAGE: Galatians 5:22-23.
[22]But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
[23]Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
MEMORY VERSE: “(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth)” Ephesians 5:9.
INTRODUCTION: One of the reasons Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit is to help us learn how to be more godly (Jn.16:12-15). The Holy Spirit will convict us of our sin (Jn.16:8) and guide us in choosing well when faced with temptations, thus producing godly characteristics within us (Eph.3:16; Jn.16:13). This is what the Bible describes as the ‘fruit of the Spirit.’
OUTLINES:
1. WHY “FRUIT?”
2. THE OPPOSITE OF BEARING FRUIT
1. WHY “FRUIT?”
The Bible uses a lot of agricultural metaphors because they were easily understood by the highly agricultural culture of the time. The “fruit of the Spirit” refers to the “results” we should see in our lives after receiving the Holy Spirit and working on our hearts over time (Rom.8:9; 12:1-2).
The Apostle Paul gives us the components of the ‘fruit’ as “…..love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control….. Gal.5:21-22.
The “fruit” metaphor helps us see our faith as a tree with branches that may or may not produce fruit, depending on how well we take care of the tree itself. If we give the tree nourishment (God’s word)-1Pet.1:23; 2:2, then it will grow bigger. If we clear away weeds and insects (sinful tendencies) -Eph.4:22-31; Col.3:8-10, then we keep the tree healthy.
If we consult the ‘professional’ Gardener (God) – 1Chron. 16:11- then we will ensure we are on the right track.
CLASS ACTIVITY 1: Is it possible for a Spirit-filled Christian not to exhibit some of the constituents of the fruit of the Holy Spirit? If Yes/No, explain.
2. THE OPPOSITE OF BEARING FRUIT
If you are a Christian, and you are not exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit in your life, at best, you will experience stagnation-no growth (Jam.2:14-26). At worst, the result of “bad fruit” is death (Rom.6:20-23; Prov.14:12). Notice that Galatians 5:22 starts with the word “But.”
The Apostle Paul tells us the opposite of these spiritual fruit. Let us take a look at the verses just before the fruit list: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” – Gal.5:19-21.
This is a list of things that someone who does not have the Holy Spirit’s influence would have problems with.
CLASS ACTIVITY 2: Is a Christian who is still manifesting the works of the flesh really saved?
CONCLUSION: On one hand, our sinfulness produces rotted, poisoned fruit, which reflects our sinful nature and hurts us in the end. On the other hand, the Holy Spirit produces beautiful, nourishing fruit that reflects God’s nature and will ultimately benefit our lives.
QUESTIONS:
* Why should a Christian bear the fruit of the Spirit? On one hand, our sinfulness produces rotted, poisoned fruit, which reflects our sinful nature and hurts us in the end. On the other hand, the Holy Spirit produces beautiful, nourishing fruit that reflects God’s nature and will ultimately benefit our lives
* What characterize the opposite of the fruit of the Spirit?
ASSIGNMENT: Provide five (5) evidences that you have the fruit of the spirit (2×5=10 Marks).
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