Holy Spirit: The Fruit - Galatians 5:13-23

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(This week we conclude the telling of the story of Holy Spirit with us.) 

This is the chapter of the story that was promised through Prophets like Joel...  

... I will pour out my Spirit on all people.... Joel 2:28

... and echoed by Jesus: 

“...If anyone is thirsty, let them come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within them.’” (He was speaking about the Spirit...) John 7:37-39 

The action begins in Jerusalem. 

They were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit... Acts 2:1-4 

It moves to Samaria. 

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. On their arrival, they [laid their hands on the Samaritans and] prayed for [the believers] to receive the Holy Spirit.  Acts 8:14-15 

It continues to spread out to the ends of the earth. 

[Paul] came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” “No,” they answered, “we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” ... On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.  And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them...  Acts 19:1ff

As Jesus said: ‘All of my people in Jerusalem. All of my people in Judea. All of my people in Samaria. All of my people at the ends of the earth. Clothed in power by the Spirit. Being my witnesses.’ 

‘Whoever believes in me. All people. All men and women. All young and old. All Jewish and Gentile. Now and for the ages.’  

______

People like:  

Stephen: A man from Greece, chosen by the 12 apostles to run the food bank. Not because he had a degree in management, but because he was “full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.” (Acts 6) 

Philip’s daughters: four teenage women who had prophetic voices. (Acts 21) 

Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos: a man from Egypt, being taught by a woman and her husband from what is now Turkiye, about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 18) 

Agabus: a Judean man from near Jerusalem, who travelled all the way from Caesarea (way up in the north) down to where Paul was in the south, to deliver a message from Holy Spirit—what was going to happen to Paul in Jerusalem. Paul received the message and, hearing how bad it was going to be, went to Jerusalem anyway. Because Holy Spirit has told him to go. (Acts 21) 

None of these people were in that room years before and miles away.  

This diverse bunch of people from Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Ephesus, Rome, Judea, Tarsus, Jerusalem, and Syria. Men and women, young and old...  

What did they have in common? The Spirit.  

But it doesn’t stop there.  

Holy Spirit wraps his arms around them all and binds them together. Into a family, a body, a temple.  

Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose. Philippians 2:1-1

Doesn’t that sound an awful lot like Trinity himself? Being like-minded, having the same love, united in spirit and purpose. Father, Son, and Spirit completely unified in their eternal dance of love. Paul sees that reflected into, and lived out in, Spirit-filled human community. In a church. 

I know your deeds, your labour, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate those who are evil... Those who falsely claim to be apostles. Without growing weary, you have persevered and endured many things for the sake of my name.... Hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Revelation 2:2ff 

Doesn’t that remind you of the Old Testament Judges? They were given integrity, courage, and power to overcome. Jesus celebrates that, lived out in Spirit-filled human community. In a church.  

It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements: you must abstain from food sacrificed to idols... from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.  Acts 15:28-29 

Doesn’t that sound a lot like the Old Testament Kings (when they go it right)? The were anointed with wisdom, leadership, and compassion. The apostles live that out in Spirit-filled human community. In the church. 

...Peter and John returned to their own people and reported [the threats and warnings] that the chief priests and elders had [given] them. ... When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God, together and in agreement. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David. ...Lord, consider their threats, and enable your servants to speak your word with complete boldness...”  Acts 4:23-29 (var)

The church doesn’t ask God to take away the problem. They don't say, “Keep us safe,” or “Make our job easier.” They sound an awful lot like the Old Testament Prophets. Inspired, empowered, emboldened to speak truth no matter what. All together. In Spirit-filled human community. As the church.  


That is how our first New Testament brothers and sisters lived, and how we are to live. 

Their chapter is our chapter. We live in a Holy Spirit church age.  

_________ 

Holy Spirit dwells in eternity. Holy Spirit dwells in us. For those of us who are filled with the Holy Spirit, that final chapter will not end.  

Of course, these days we are far too sophisticated and cool to get excited about this stuff. We have cell phones. We have Tiktok and AI and drones and wi-fi and Teemu.  

But whether you get excited or not, this is our chapter. This church is his church. This world is his world. This eternity is his eternity. We don't just live here. We have the opportunity to belong with him. His church is us.  

There is a sense in which we are the ‘fruit of the Spirit.’ 

This week’s scripture focus includes a list of the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). We often, in our consumeristic society, think of fruit as something that we get. Something that we pick and consume. But the fruit of the Spirit is not for us to just enjoy, to put in cans, and stick on the shelf.  

The fruit of the Spirit is for us to produce, and to share with our world. Because we are a Holy Spirit church. We live in Holy Spirit reality.  

We must learn to pray: 

Holy Spirit, come. Let us feel you on our shoulders, and in our hearts, and in our breath. Holy Spirit, we thank you for the fruit that you grow within us.  

Thank you for a moment when I received love.  

  • I ask you to open the door in my mind, showing me where in my world where you are calling me to give love. Selah  

Holy Spirit, I thank you for the times in my life when I have experienced joy.  

  • I ask you now to open my mind to where in my world you are calling me to bring joy.    Selah  

Holy Spirit, I thank you for the times in my life when I've had the opportunity to experience peace.  

  • I ask you now to open me up to understand where you have positioned me to make peace.    Selah  

Holy Spirit, I thank you for the benefit I have derived from someone else's patience.  

  • I ask you now to open my mind, open my heart to see where in my world, my family, my neighbourhood that you are calling me to model patience.  Selah  

Holy Spirit, I thank you for the times that I have witnessed or received kindness.  

  • I ask you now to open my eyes to see where in my world you call me to show kindness. Selah  

Holy Spirit, I thank you for the times that I have been the beneficiary of goodness. 

  • I pray that you will open the door and show me the place where I am to share goodness.   Selah  

Holy Spirit, I thank you for the times that I have recognized and celebrated faithfulness. 

  • Now I ask you to challenge me, strengthen me, lift me on my feet, and show me where I need to demonstrate faithfulness.   Selah  

Holy Spirit, I thank you for the times, maybe when things were tough, when I encountered gentleness.  

  • I pray, Holy Spirit, show me how you have empowered and positioned me to demonstrate gentleness.  Selah  

Finally, in all of these things, Holy Spirit, I thank you for the times when I have witnessed and benefited from someone else's self-control.  

  • I ask you to show me—moment by moment, day by day, conversation by conversation, interaction by interaction—how you have called and gifted me to be self-controlled.   Selah  

Jesus.  

I believe in you. I believe with my mind and my heart that you are who you claim to be. I believe that you are the hope of the world and the hope of every individual human on this planet. As the scripture has said, let streams of living water flow from within me.  

Holy Spirit, come.  

In Jesus’ name, I pray.  


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