Sun. 23/3/2014
Quarter’s Theme: THE HOLY SPIRIT
Unit 2 Theme: The Exploits Of The Holy Spirit (Lessons 4-8)
SOUL WINNERS CROWN COMPETITION MONTHS
23/3/2014 LESSON 4
THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (PART 1)
Suggested Hymns: G.H.B. 92, 100
Devotional Reading: ROMANS 14:9-19
Topic For Adults
IDENTIFICATION BY FRUIT
Topic For Youths
LOVE IS THE GREATEST
Scripture Lesson
GAL. 5:22; 1 COR. 13:1-13;
2 COR. 6:3-6; ROM. 14:17
Memory verse: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Gal. 5:22-23) NKJV
DAILY BIBLE READING
Suffer Long In All Things
2 Cor. 6:1-10
As Christians, we must understand that we are dealing with all categories of people. There are some who will misinterpret what we say or do and this may want to provoke us to anger and to reply them which may lead to strife but long-suffering will not allow us to react. Paul recounted the catalogue of oppositions, frustration and difficulties they encountered while doing God’s work but he said they suffered long. This means they were patient in their trials and in the provocations which they met. They endeavoured to keep a control over their temperament. This is the same character and attitude God is expecting from us. In the face of difficulties, don’t blaspheme God, don’t depart from Him and He will surely intervene.
Point of Emphasis: Be patient in tribulation.
Prayer Point: Lord, give me the grace to be patient with all people in all things.
BACKGROUND
In our last lesson, it was mentioned that the initial evidence that we have been
baptised in the Holy Spirit is the speaking in new tongue but with that there are
other evidences. This week’s lesson is another evidence that we have received the Holy Spirit and that we are bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is a bunch and that is why it is spoken of in the singular but it has different virtues and characters that are godly. This lesson will reveal four of those virtues out of nine in the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
NOTES ON THE TEXT
I. THE FRUIT OF LOVE – GAL. 5:22; 1 COR. 13:1-13
The first on the list of the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love. Love is a character of God and is God personified (Jn. 3:16; 1 Jn. 4:7-8). The Bible says everyone that loves is born of God and knows God. In other words, because the Holy Spirit is God Himself and loves all men that belong to Him, it follows that anyone that has been baptised in the Holy Spirit must have love of God and love for God. This is the first fruit that such a person must bear. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13 also speaks about the superiority of love above all other virtues to show how important love is.
From the above passage, it is evident that love is the ultimate for every Christian. This is not love by mere profession but love in demonstration, love put in action. When a child of God bears the fruit of love, all other aspects of the fruit of the Holy Spirit falls in place. What kind of fruit are you bearing – love or hatred? Remember, the Bible says, you shall know them by their fruits (Matt. 7:16). Can people testify that you are bearing the fruit of love beginning from your family, place of work, neighbourhood and even in the Church?
II. THE FRUIT OF JOY – GAL. 5:22; ROM. 14:17
Joy is an inner rejoicing that abides despite outer circumstances. This characteristic has little to do with happiness and can exist in times of unhappiness. It is a deep and nourishing satisfaction that continues even when a life situation seems empty and unsatisfying.
This joy comes from God and the Holy Spirit alone (Lk. 10:21; 1 Thess. 1:6). Happiness depends on happenings around. For example, when things are good and favourable, one tends to be happy but when things turn in the opposite direction and becomes unfavourable, one tends to be disappointed and sorrowful. But the children of God, who bear the fruit of joy through the Holy Spirit, will continue to have joy from the comfort of the Holy Spirit, even during unpalatable moments. The fruit of joy makes the difference between the children of God and unbelievers. The Bible says the kingdom of God is not in meat and drink but in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom. 14:17). Do you have this joy in you?
III. THE FRUIT OF PEACE – GAL. 5:22
There is peace that a believer receives at salvation and justification, all made possible by the Holy Spirit. Peace is also the absence of fear, war, strife, conflict, anxiety and guilty conscience. Peace is an inner quietness and trust in God’s sovereignty and justice, even in the face of adverse circumstances.
Apart from having peace with God at justification, believers also have peace of God. The Bible says “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7). The peace of God in the heart of Christians filled with the Holy Spirit is an inner rest that is deep-rooted. It protects the heart from being disturbed by environmental circumstances. There may be pain and trouble without but there will be inner peace in the heart. Believers should know that the measure of peace they enjoy depends on the extent Jesus and the Holy Spirit possess their lives.
This peace, as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, must also be extended to other people. You must follow peace with all men (Heb. 12:14); you must seek peace with others and pursue it (1 Pet. 3:10-11); and you must follow after the things which make for peace (Rom. 14:19)
IV. THE FRUIT OF LONG-SUFFERING – GAL. 5:22; 2 COR. 6:3-6
To have fruit of longsuffering is to suffer long for the shortcomings of others. Longsuffering is long-mindedness, bearing with the frailties and provocations of others, from the consideration that God has borne long with us and that if He had not, we should have been speedily consumed. Longsuffering is also bearing up through all the troubles and difficulties of life without murmuring or complaining, but submitting cheerfully to every dispensation of God’s providence and thus, deriving benefit from every occurrence.
Another term for longsuffering is patience. As God’s children, we must be patient at the face of difficult circumstances and we must be patient with all people and focus on God. When we focus on God in our problems, the Spirit of God will comfort, help and strengthen us to go through whatever comes our way.
CONCLUSION
The fruit of the Spirit is in singular form to tell believers that all the components (nine in number, out of which we have discussed four this week) should be possessed and demonstrated by every child of God. But as they are called fruit of the Holy Spirit, it equally means that some Christians may not be able to bear such fruit if they are yet to be baptised in the Holy Spirit and this is the more reason why they should desire the Holy Spirit in their lives more than ever.
QUESTIONS
1. Mention the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
2. Why is love mentioned as number one among the fruit of the Holy Spirit?
3. What is the difference between joy and happiness?
4. Differentiate between peace with God, peace of God and peace with others.
5. What is another term for longsuffering?
French
DIMANCHE 23/03/2014
SUPPORTE LES SOUFFRANCES EN TOUTES CHOSES
2 Co. 6 :1-10
En tant que chrétiens, nous devons comprendre que nous avons affaire à toutes catégories de gens. Il y a d’autres qui interprèteront mal ce que nous disons ou faisons, ce qui pourrait nous provoquer à la colère et de leur répondre; ce qui pourrait déboucher sur une querelle mais la longanimité ne nous permettra pas de réagir. Paul donna le récit du catalogue d’oppositions, de frustrations et de difficultés auxquelles ils firent face pendant qu’ils faisaient l’œuvre de Dieu, mais il affirma qu’ils ont pu les supporter entièrement. Cela veut dire qu’ils étaient patients dans leurs épreuves et dans les provocations qu’ils connurent. Ils essayèrent de maîtriser leur tempérament. C’est le même caractère et attitude que Dieu attend de nous. En dépit des difficultés, ne blasphème pas contre Dieu, ne te sépare pas de lui car il interviendra assurément.
Point essentiel : Sois patient dans la tribulation.
Axe de prière : Seigneur, accorde-moi en toutes choses la grâce d’être patient avec tous.