ILLUSTRATION- I remember seeing a bumper sticker one time that said: “God wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts”
As strange as that might initially sound, I believe it’s completely true.
I don’t think that God wants religious nuts. I believe that God wants to grow—or produce-- in His people Spiritual fruit.
Over the last several weeks, we have been examining what kind of spiritual fruit that God wants to grow in our lives.
The Bible tells us that: “the fruit of the Spirit—the fruit that God wants to grow in our lives--- is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.” (Gal. 5:22-23a, NIV)
God is looking to grow these 9 fruit in the lives of people who claim to be Christ followers.
Up to now, we have examined the spiritual fruit of Love, Joy, Peace, Patience and Kindness.
As we surrender our lives over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we will find ourselves being filled with the Spirit of God; and the qualities that God wants produced in our lives will begin to take root.
Some of this growth might be painful, but it will always be beneficial!
Do you know that the fruit that God wants to grow in His children will not leave a bad taste in other people’s mouths… allow me to illustrate.
ILLUSTRATION- Several weeks ago, I was working on a message and I needed a snack, so I reached into my desk drawer and I proceeded to eat an apple that I had cut up and placed into a container just a few days before.
Up until recently, that had been my normal procedure, so without looking at the apple, I took a slice out of the container and took a bite, expecting to enjoy a nice juicy apple slice…
What I expected wasn’t what I tasted. It was awful.
I decided that something must have been wrong with the first piece, so I went back for a second bite, which was just as bad as the first bite.
Needless to say I stopped eating the apple then and there, because it had left a bad taste in my mouth.
Many people who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ have a tendency to leave a bad taste in people’s mouth. Why would this be?
Because their fruit is bad.
The Bible says that we are to “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance”
(Luke 3:8, NIV)
We may leave a bad taste in people’s mouths when we rely on ourselves to be loving, kind, joyful, patient…
But if we want to produce the kind of fruit that God wants to grow in our lives; we are going to have to remain connected to The Vine.
Jesus said in John 15: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (15:5, NIV)
As we stay connected to the Vine, the fruit that should be evident in our life will be found growing in our life.
As a plant needs nutrients to survive, we need the Holy Spirit of God to thrive.
The Bible says: “the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives….” (Gal. 5:22, NLT2)
Trying to produce the Fruit of the Spirit without the Holy Spirit living inside of us will ultimately leave a bad taste in people’s mouth.
So if you are trying to be patient, to love, to be kind, to be joyful or even to be at peace without the Holy Spirit of God, STOP!
You can’t do it; you can’t grow the Fruit of the Spirit without the Holy Spirit living inside of you, and you will be leaving a bad taste in people’s mouths.
If you want Fruit of the Spirit to be grown in your life, you must remain connected to the Vine.
This morning we want to look at the 6th fruit that will be grown in the life of the disciple of Jesus Christ: “Goodness”
A Bible dictionary tells us that Goodness is “the quality of being good, praiseworthy character, moral excellence” (NIBD)
This stands in complete contrast to the Bible’s description of all people. Take these verses for example, first in Romans chapter 3:
“No one is righteous—not even one. 11 No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. 12 All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” (Romans 3:10-12, NLT2)
Isaiah reminds us that: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way…” (Isa 53:6, NIV)
Jeremiah reminds us that: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jer 17:9, NIV)
How is it possible to be, on one hand, called evil, while on the other hand to be called Good—or filled with Goodness?
In a wordàGod.
Because God is good, He calls us out of the kingdom of darkness and fills us
with the Spirit of Christ, and declares that we are “good”
“Biblically, goodness is defined in respect to God’s estimation of what is good.” (Zon. Com.)
God is the only One who is able to call persons—or things—good.
He had done so in the creation account, and if we have been washed by the blood of the Lamb, we too are declared good, and this Holy Spirit produced goodness will demonstrate itself in how we deal with other people.
ILLUSTRATION- A world traveller once projected a series of pictures which depicted a serious need (much like the plight of those in Somalia)
One little girl was pictured with her face pressed hard against the windowpane on the inside of which there was an abundance of food.
This little girl was weak and frail from a lack of food.
When asked what he had done about the little girl’s need, the traveller’s reply was “Oh I was simply taking pictures of the world’s need.” (Caldwell, 1976, 56)
Doesn’t the book of James have something to say about seeing a need and doing nothing to help meet that need?
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
16 If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:14-17, NIV)
James was reminding his readers that it wasn’t enough for them to be kind to people (“I wish you well...”) you must do good to them as well (“faith by itself…”)
Kindness and Goodness are closely related, both in our passage, and in the way they are expressed. Goodness is, as someone once said, “generosity that springs from kindness.”
It simply isn’t enough to be kind to someone; we must do good to them.
John Wesley once said: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can” (Wesley’s little instruction book, 1996, 5)
John Wesley was encouraging the followers of Jesus, those people who are filled with the Fruit of the Spirit, not simply to be good, but to do good.
So what does this goodness look like—how does Goodness express itself? That’s an excellent question! It’s also one that doesn’t have a simple answer.
Expressing goodness will look different for each person, just as each person
is different, but it could be lending a helping hand; it could be lending money to someone who desperately needs it, it could be… well, anything. If it’s done in the Name of Jesus, it will never go to waste:
The Bible says: “…Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. (1 Cor.15:58b, NLT2)
Dr. Caldwell reminds us that: “Goodness does not calculate the cost of services rendered. It works whether appreciation is given or not.” (ibid)
The Bible says: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Gal. 6:9-10, NIV)
This is one of my favourite verses, and one that we must never forget. We must continue doing good, for if we remain faithful in doing good, a harvest will be enjoyed.
Holy Spirit produced goodness is being mindful of the goodness (and kindness) that we have received from God, and it is showing that same goodness (and kindness) to those around us.
The Bible says: “…do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (Heb. 13:16, NIV)
A Spirit-filled life will focus on other people and do good to them.
So think, dear church, who are you seeking to do good to? Who are you showing goodness to?
A disciple of Jesus Christ who is filled with the Fruit of the Spirit of goodness will seek to show goodness to others.
In Matthew 5, Jesus said these words about His followers: “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.
15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.
16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:13-16, NLT2)
Jesus was reminding us that we have a light to shine; we are to show the goodness of God to all people. So, who are you showing the Light of God to?
ILLUSTRATION- A little boy came up to his mom in the kitchen while she was fixing supper and he handed her a piece of paper he'd been writing on.
And after drying her hands on her apron, she read it, and this is what it
said:
“For mowing' the lawn; five dollars. For making my bed this week; one dollar; and for going to the store; fifty cents.”
“For mowing' the lawn; five dollars. For making my bed this week; one dollar; and for going to the store; fifty cents.”
“For babysitting little brother while you went shopping; twenty-five cents.”
“For taking out the trash; one dollar. Getting a good report card: five dollars, and for raking the yard: two dollars.”
“For taking out the trash; one dollar. Getting a good report card: five dollars, and for raking the yard: two dollars.”
“Total owed: fourteen dollars and seventy-five cents.”
Well, the mother just looked at him standing there expectantly, and she could see the memories flashing through her mind, so she picked up the pen, and turning the paper over, this is what she wrote:
“For the nine months that I carried you growing inside me, no charge.”
“For the nights I've sat up with you, doctored you, and prayed for you, no charge.”
“For the time and the tears, and the cost through the years, there's no charge.”
Well, the mother just looked at him standing there expectantly, and she could see the memories flashing through her mind, so she picked up the pen, and turning the paper over, this is what she wrote:
“For the nine months that I carried you growing inside me, no charge.”
“For the nights I've sat up with you, doctored you, and prayed for you, no charge.”
“For the time and the tears, and the cost through the years, there's no charge.”
“For the nights filled with dread, and all the worries ahead, no charge.”
“For advice and the knowledge and the cost of your college, no charge.”
“For the toys, food and clothes and even for wiping your nose, there's no
charge.”
“And when you add it all up, the full cost of my love is no charge.”
Well, when the boy had finished reading, he had great big old tears in his eyes, and he looked up at her standing there and said “Mama, I sure do love you”.
Then he took the pen, and in great big letters he wrote PAID IN FULL. (adapted from tommy hunter’s readings)
Because God loves us, He paid our bill. He died the death that we should have died, and He wants to fill us with a goodness that comes only from a life that is surrendered to His Spirit.
Because God loves us, He paid our bill. He died the death that we should have died, and He wants to fill us with a goodness that comes only from a life that is surrendered to His Spirit.
If you have never surrendered your life over to the Spirit of God, know that you can do so this very moment, you can be filled with the Holy Spirit of God; you can be filled with the Fruit of the Spirit called goodness.
For those of us who are surrendering to the Spirit of God, may we ask Him for ways to demonstrate Holy Spirit produced goodness to someone this week.
Maybe it’s donating 50 dollars to help the famine in Africa; maybe it’s showing up and giving someone a helping hand…
Whatever it might be, we have the opportunity to show the goodness of God to the people around us.
The 6th fruit of the Spirit is that of goodness, and it is a fruit that only comes from God, it is a fruit that does not leave a bad taste in a person’s mouth; and it does not look for payment in return for services rendered…
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