The Fruit of the Spirit Is....

Last night I was reading on a private forum of a fellow Pastor and his struggles with the congregation he serves. When he talked about his situation it took me back in time to a situation that I would like to share with you today. The situations are so similar that I thought it was the Church that I left over a year ago. It is not the same Church, but it proves that many Churches in America have become consumed with Sunday morning instead of their relationship with Christ.

Cornerstone Christian Church (not its real name) is like most Churches in America. They cling to their traditions which primarily revolves around how they worship on Sunday morning. While at Cornerstone Christian the worship committee decided one evening that we needed to change things up a bit. One of the people proposed that we change the order of service since it had been the same for a very long time. We moved several things around and put communion (we partake of it weekly) after the sermon instead of before. The committee agreed and when proposed to the Elders they were all in agreement said it was a great idea. In just a few short weeks when I met with the Elders again there was a big problem with the new order of service. One of the Elders wives was upset and told her husband that communion should always be before the Word is presented. She told her husband that she could not focus on the Word until she had communion. This woman had been to Bible College for 1 year many years ago and was known for believing that she had a handle on the Bible more than just about anybody else in the Church. In the Elders meeting the Elder whose wife complained said we had to move it back. When asked why he repeated what his wife said and the added "who would know better than her where it should go?" We did not move it back to where she wanted it because Easter service was coming and many people enjoyed something a bit different for worship.

Looking back on this I have to shake my head and laugh a bit. We get so bent out of shape in the Church over the smallest things don't we? Unfortunately this problem I had experienced was one of many petty problems from my time at that ministry. What bothers me the most is that Cornerstone Christian represents many Churches in America. People are fighting and bickering over petty details of what should happen on Sunday morning instead of worrying about growing closer to Christ and bringing Him honor in their daily lives. When things like this happen we look just like the world to each other and to outsiders. What a shame! Then we wonder to ourselves why God is not using us or blessing our Church.

In Galatians 5:22-26 there are 9 attributes listed that are called the Fruit of the Spirit. These attributes should be flowing out of every person who is an apprentice (disciple) of Christ. We don't talk about the Fruit of the Spirit like we should. We need to be asking ourselves and others if we have these qualities in our lives. The ones we are lacking in we need to notice and pray about. 1 John 5:14 "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." Powerful words from the Apostle John! We need to understand that it is God's Will that we bear fruit. God desires for you to have the fruit listed in Galatians 5. The problem is that we are taking our focus of of Jesus in the Church and putting it on other things that are unfruitful. When someone becomes fruitful in their lives the Church will reap the benefits. Others will see that it is possible to live and "abundant" life that Jesus promised. When more people become convinced they will give more time and energy to their relationship with Christ. As people grow the Church grows spiritually. When a Church grows spiritually it begins to focus on reaching out instead of focusing on the order of worship. We have a duty as Christians to think beyond ourselves and the Sunday morning worship. People who are consumed with the order of worship worry me. If you are worried more about Sunday morning order of worship more than glorifying God with your life and reaching out to a hurting world you need to repent and ask Jesus to move in fresh ways in your life. You have the choice everyday to bear fruit or to become a rotten apple.