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The Fruit of the Holy Spirit Teaching Series Goals and General Instructions

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The Fruit of the Holy Spirit Teaching Series Goals and General Instructions Members Teaching THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TEACHING SERIES GOALS AND GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS This course is part of the formation program in CFC Singles for Christ. It is one of the teachings available to SFC members who have finished the Covenant Orientation. I. Goals of this Teaching Series A. Provide SFCs with a better understanding of the meaning of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. B. Help SFCs desire for the fruits of the Spirit in their lives and take the necessary steps to achieve this II. Topics of the Talks A. The Image of God B. Love and Discipline C. Meekness and Aggressiveness D. Joy and Sorrow E. Faithfulness and Self-control F. Patience and Perseverance III. Contents For each of the topics, the following are provided: A. Expanded outline B. Handout for participants IV. Reference Material "Growing in the Fruit of the Spirit" by John Blattner V. Schedule This course may be given in one day, or in two separate half-days, or over 3 nights (2 talks each), or finally over 6 sessions (one talk each). The course may Members Teaching be given by the CFC PFO and/or by the respective elders, chapters or clusters of SFC. A suggested one-day schedule is as follows: 8:00 AM Arrival/Registration 8:45 Worship 9:05 Course Introduction 9:15 Talk #1 10:00 Break 10:15 Talk #2 11:00 Break 11:15 Talk #3 12:00 NN Lunch/Fellowship 1:00 PM Praise time 1:15 Talk #4 2:00 Break 2:15 Talk #5 3:00 Break 3:15 Talk #6 4:00 Open Forum 5:00 Closing Prayer Members Teaching CFC SINGLES FOR CHRIST THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT TALK NO. 1: THE IMAGE OF GOD Speaker’s Outline I. Introduction A. The call to us in SFC is to be holy as God is Holy, to be Christlike, to be filled with the Holy Spirit. B. More and more we ought to manifest the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Galatians 5:22-23 1. "Fruit" not "fruits". Singular not plural. 2. The fruit of the Spirit is a life conformed to the character of Jesus. 3. Thus learning how to grow in the fruit of the Spirit means learning more about what God is like. C. God's original intent was that we be just like Him. Genesis 1:26-27 II. The Concept of Sonship A. Sonship had a specific meaning in Jesus' culture that we might miss. 1. The son was cared for by the mother until age 5-7. 2. Then he went, not to school, but under the direct care of the father, whose job it was to raise him up to be a man. The father taught the son the Law, a trade, basic life skills, Godly character, and found him a wife. 3. The son was the father's heir; everything the father had was his. 4. The son represented the father, succeeded to his position, and carried on his name. 5. The son became sort of the "replica" of the father. There was one "identity" between them such that when you related to one you related to the other. B. Sonship in Adam 1. Luke 3:23-38. Genealogy of Jesus (read v. 38) a. Adam was God's son. Not of biological descent, but of the total relationship of sonship. Members Teaching b. God related to Adam as a father related to his son. He taught him the law. (Genesis 2:16-17) He established him in an occupation. (Genesis 1:26b) He got him a wife. (Genesis 2:22) 2. Adam's sonship gives us some clues as to what God had in mind for us. a. Genesis 1:26-28 "image and likeness" = Man shares God's nature and character. "dominion" = Man shares God's role and responsibility. b. "Adam" = A specific person (Genesis 2:18) or entire human race (Genesis 1:26). The story of Adam is not just of an individual, but of the entire human race. Thus, "God created Adam as His son." = "God created the human race as His son." c. The human race was to have a sonship relationship with God and, ultimately, become just like Him. 3. But man turned away and forfeited his sonship. a. God needed a way to restore us to His original purpose for us. b. God's way was Jesus. C. Sonship in Jesus 1. Jesus is the new Adam. Romans 5:14-17; 1 Corinthians 15:45,47-49 a. God decides to re-create the human race to counter Adam's fall and achieve His original purpose. He does it the same way: through one man who begins a new race. b. Just as God made the whole human race to be His son through Adam, so in Jesus, God takes to Himself the entire body of Christ as His son. 2. Jesus is truly God's Son. a. image/likeness (Hebrews 1:3a; Colossians 1:15) b. heir (Hebrews 1:2) c. seated at right hand (Hebrews 1:3b) d. faithful over God's house as a son (Hebrews 3:6a) 3. We regain our sonship in Christ. Members Teaching a. Where Adam failed, Jesus did it right. He thus created a new human race that fulfills God's purpose. b. Galatians 3:26-27 – Sons of God through faith. c. Galatians 4:4-7 – Adopted as sons, heirs; given Spirit to live as Jesus. D. Note: The term "sonship" is used because it is faithful to the biblical metaphor, but it refers to a relationship available to both men and women. III. God's Purpose for Our Lives Now A. To make us mature sons and daughters. 1. We are God's sons and daughters, but are still babies. We need to grow up spiritually. a. Galatians 4:19. "Until Christ be formed in you" --a process. b. An enduring relationship. We confuse "son/daughter" with "little child". In Jewish culture, sonship was an identity and a relationship that remained lifelong. 2. How does growth to maturity take place? a. Colossians 3:9-10, 12-13 "Old self" (old nature) vs. "new man" (new nature). The creation of a new human race. We trade in our old humanity for the new humanity offered us in Christ. b. An active process. Matthew 5:43-45,48 --"Do this so that you may be sons." Though in one sense, we already are sons and daughters, we still need to become sons and daughters in another sense by learning to act like our Father and reflect His character. B. To make us spiritual men and women. 1. 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 a. The Corinthians already had the Holy Spirit, but are still not "spiritual". b. To be "spiritual" is not to manifest the gifts of the Spirit, but to manifest the fruit of the Spirit. c. True spirituality consists in living as God's sons and daughters, reflecting the character of Jesus. Members Teaching 2. Matthew 7:21-23 True spirituality consists not in displays of charismatic activity, but in a life of holiness. 3. Galatians 5:19-23 a. Paul contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit. b. Refers not to feelings but to characteristic ways of behaving. C. Thus the fruit of the Spirit is: 1. What grows in us as a result of the Spirit's presence. 2. The character traits of God expressed in our lives. 3. A life conformed to the image of Jesus. IV. Four Principles of Spiritual Growth "Fruit" implies a process of growth. The fruit of the Spirit doesn't arrive full-grown when we are baptized in the Spirit, but grows as we live in the Spirit. "Spiritual growth" means growth in character, not just in gifts or religious experiences. It means coming to a point where people see Jesus in us. A. The "New Life" Principle 1. 1 Peter 1:23. We are born anew through the word of God. a. Spiritual growth does not result mainly from our effort. We feed, bathe, clothe human children, but they grow because the "human life principle" is in them. Without that, the other things we do would have no effect. b. It's a matter of the "seed". If you start with a puppy you won't wind up with a bear/deer/human no matter how you raise it. c. We are born of "spiritual seed", the life of God. We cultivate and nurture our spiritual growth, but it would have no effect if God's life weren't in us from the outset. 2. To grow spiritually: Have God's life within you. B. The "Communion with God" Principle 1. 2 Corinthians 3:18. Behold God's glory; changed by degrees. a. We grow as we behold God. Kids are like their parents partly due to genetics, but also because they live in their parents' presence. Members Teaching The more we are in God's presence, the more we become like him. b. We come into God's presence through prayer, scripture, corporate worship, household meetings, and fellowship with brethren in SFC. 2. To grow spiritually: Dwell in God's presence. C. The "Imitation of Christ" Principle 1. Ephesians 5:1-2. Be imitators of God, walk in love. We all grow and develop via imitation. - As we imitate Jesus, we become more like him. - We imitate not by being infinite or omnipotent, being messiah, being a carpenter, etc. We imitate by walking in love, by taking on God's character, His love, His joy, and His peace.
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