You can experience the person of the Holy Spirit in your daily life. God loves you and cares for you, and He has given you everything that you need.
Welcome to The Real Church podcast. Our mission is for you to know the love of Jesus and live out your God given purpose. Now join us and listen in to the latest message from pastor David John Phillips.
Let's pray. Father, I thank you for who you are. Lord God, I thank you that you're good. Lord God, I thank you that you love us. Father, I thank you that you're here.
You're in the room right here with me as I'm about to preach this word. Lord God, you're in the room right there with everybody who's watching. Lord, as they're about to to hear, Father, what what I pray is not me, because I can't do this. I can't change anyone's lives just by my words from me. But but if it's you speaking, Lord you have the words of life.
You use people to speak your word. And and if it's you speaking, Father, then it has the power to shift people's lives for eternity. Lord it has the power to impact believers who have been walking with you for decades and those who are far from you right now listening, hoping, looking for hope, looking for for what is their next step. Father I pray that you speak right now. Father I thank you that you're here.
Lord I thank you that you love us. I thank you that what you're doing in real church. I thank you for what you're doing in this nation. Father we give you this time. We sit on the edge of our seats listening for a word from you.
In Jesus name, amen and amen. So we are continuing our series on Holy Spirit. We've already spent 3 weeks on the Holy Spirit. First we talked about the person of the Holy Spirit. And next we talked about the power of the Holy Spirit.
We went into what is the purpose of the power, and what is his plan for the power. And then after that, we talked about last week we talked about the presence of the Holy Spirit, and what it looks like to experience his presence in our daily lives. If you missed any of those, can go and find them on our YouTube channel or on our Facebook page. We also have a podcast. You can you can just search Real Church Clearwater.
You can find it on our website. I encourage you to go back and listen. But today we're gonna continue that vein because if we understand who the person, and and and the plan and the purpose for the power, and we understand his presence, as we grow in that understanding, then we grow in our ability to live by the spirit. The title of today's message is "life by the spirit". What does that look like?
And it's gonna be kind of more of a a bible study today. We're gonna we're gonna get in the word together, just a couple of passages, and really break them apart, and study this thing together. So let's get our word out, scripture out. You can use your your the app on your phone, or you can just go and and look up these later. But I encourage you to go and and check out these verses, and and and look up look them up.
Make sure what I'm saying is true. Make sure what I'm saying is coming from his word. Alright? So life by the spirit. Let's start in Romans-8.
Romans-8:1. A little bit of a review. It says, therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. We talked about this a little bit yes I say yesterday. We talked about this a little bit last week, but I think it's important for you to understand, and so I'm gonna rehash it a little bit just again.
What is condemnation? Condemnation is is criticism. According to the dictionary condemnation is is criticism and disapproval. And a lot of times as believers, if you've received Jesus, when we experience condemnation in our life, this criticism and disapproval for our sin, we think that it's conviction. When when the Father completely and totally criticized and disapproved of our sin in Christ, it's done and over away with.
That that that's the reason that therefore there is now no condemnation, no criticism or disapproval for us in Christ Jesus. Because his righteousness has been credited to your account. When he looks at you, he sees you as the right standing of God in Christ Jesus, if you have indeed received Jesus. If you are in him. Verse 2.
Why do I say that? Because through Christ Jesus, the law of the spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. What is the law of sin and death it's talking about? Well, when you are born because you're born mankind, because you're born from Adam and Eve, generation to generation passed down, you're born a sinner. And you're born destined to sin, the law of sin and death.
It's like the law of gravity. You're born destined to sin. And because of that sin, because you're a sinner and you sin, you're born destined to death, which means separation from God for eternity. Destined to hell. Destined to to to live separately from his joy, his peace, from from knowing you, the creator of the universe.
That is the law of sin and death. It's the law for all mankind. But it says, because through Christ Jesus, the law of the spirit who gives life has set you free from that. What does that mean? That means when we're born again, when you receive Jesus.
Right? His spirit, he gives us life in an instant. So we transfer from sinners to saints in an instant. Not based on our works, not based on our goodness, but based on the goodness of Jesus. In an instant, from sinners to saints.
In an instant, he credits his righteousness to us. So when he looks at us, he doesn't see our sin, but he sees the goodness of Jesus. He loves you and he cares for you. He completely completely condemns sin in Jesus. Watch this.
Watch this. Oh, and not only that, but the spirit who gives life. He fills us with his spirit and empowers us to live up the life of righteousness, so we no longer have to choose sin. Watch. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, talking about the the law of of Moses that shows God's perfect plan, but because our sinful flesh, we couldn't keep God's perfect plan.
So we broke the covenant. Watch this. What happened? God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh. My my series said said something.
God said, by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. What does that mean? I've always wondered what that meant. No. No.
Sent his son Jesus in the likeness. He came in the flesh but not in sinful flesh. He was born of God. That's important because it says, and so he condemned sin in the flesh. Now a lot of a lot of us think, well he condemned sin in the flesh.
So when I sin, I'm condemned. No. He's he's talking about he condemned sin in Jesus' flesh. Jesus had no sin whatsoever. And he completely and totally criticized and disapproved of sin in Jesus.
And then condemned means put to death. He put to death whose sin? Jesus had no sin. He put to death your sin in the flesh of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians-5:21, he who knew no sin literally became sin.
He became your sin, and then he put that sin to death in him. That's amazing. Why? So that the *righteousness* or the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. Meaning, meaning, the the law of God that we couldn't follow, Jesus completely followed.
But when you receive Jesus, when you're born again, you receive him inside of you, the 1 who followed it completely. His *righteousness* himself as he prayed in John-17. He prayed that that he would be in us. So his righteousness is in us. So when God looks at us, he sees the law as completely and totally fulfilled because he sees Jesus' fulfillment in us when he sees us.
That is freeing life by the spirit. Now if you're you're watching this, you're like, man, that was a lot. What does that mean? Let's break it down a little bit more. Let's let's try to make it a little bit more practical.
Okay? So let's go to Galatians-5. *Galatians-5* he says, so I say, walk by or live by, live by the spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Maybe you hear that you're like, man pastor I've heard that all my life growing up in church and and it sounds like a bunch of just religious verbiage to me. I don't understand how to break that down in my life.
I don't understand what it really means to walk by the spirit, and I won't gratify the desires of the flesh. Man, I have all these desires popping up in me, and I I feel like this sinful, nasty, filthy, rotten sinner. What's going on? If that was your response, like you you literally just said that verbatim. No.
I I kid. But if that was your response or if that's how you felt in your life, then I have the answer for you. Watch this. It says, so I say, walk by the spirit, that's a capital s, Holy Spirit. Walk by the Holy Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
I I see 3 different entities in that verse, or in that little phrase. You have the Holy Spirit, you have the flesh, and then you have you. I hope you didn't miss what I just said. Watch. Verse 17.
For the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit, and the spirit desires what is contrary to the flesh, they are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. See, so many people think that just because they have a desire or just because they have a thought that it's them. But this is saying that the flesh desires what is contrary to the Holy Spirit, so that you, meaning you are not the desires of your flesh, quit thinking that your identity is wrapped up in every thought that you think, and every desire that you have. This is saying that the flesh is desiring things contrary to the Holy Spirit, and that is not who you are. Back to Romans-8, real quick, just to drive that point home.
*Romans-8:9* says, you, however, are not in the realm of the flesh, but are in the realm of the spirit, if indeed the spirit of God lives in you. If you've received Jesus, if if if you've been born again, then you are of the realm of the spirit, and you are not the sum totals of your desires. Because some desires and some thoughts once again that you have are not from you, and they're definitely not from God, they're from the flesh or from the enemy. Let me let me show you verse back to Galatians-5 verse 18 it says, but if you are led by the Spirit then you are not under the law because the law of the spirit has set us free from the law of sin and death. Verse 19, the "acts of the flesh" are obvious.
So maybe you're wondering, alright pastor, I hear you. I hear you. Like, so so how how can I tell how can I tell what is from the flesh and what is from the spirit? It lists out right here. The acts of the flesh are obvious.
If you have a thought or a desire that is, verse 19, sexual immorality. If you have this sexually immoral thought to do something that is not in line with his word, not in line with sex within marriage, it's not in line with those things, with what his word defines, That is from the flesh. And if you have been born again, then you're a "child of the king". That is not from you anymore. Don't take that on anymore as your identity.
Because what a lot of people do is when these thoughts come in, or when these desires come up, they say, oh my gosh, that must be in my heart. That must be who I am. And then all of a sudden they feel that condemnation, criticism and disapproval. And so when they feel that criticism and disapproval for these thoughts and these desires that pop into their head, instantly they fall back in shame and guilt. I can't believe that I'm feeling this.
I can't believe that I'm thinking this. Why is this here? And they take it on as their identity. And as soon as they fall back in shame, they're taking it on as their identity, then all of a sudden you are more likely to fall into that very thought. And that's exactly what the enemy wants you to do.
He wants you to get your identity all messed up. But see, remember in the beginning of Galatians-5:16, he says, walk by the spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. You have the capacity because you're born again to live a life that's completely and totally led by the spirit. You do not have to choose your desires and your thoughts anymore, and you can see yourself as separated from the thoughts and the desires that originate from them. You can see yourself as a new creation and and in unity with the Holy Spirit.
Period. So once again, what are the thoughts and the desires that come from the flesh? Because we need to know. Because when those come up, we have to know, wait, I'm I'm of the Holy Spirit. I've been born again.
My I'm in my life is in communion with him. Eternal life, I know him. I do not have to choose that anymore. What are those thoughts? The acts of the flesh are obvious, sexual immorality.
Impurity, if you have thoughts or desires that are impure. Debauchery, which is like over indulgence and sensual stuff. Idolatry. What is idolatry? It's anything that you put before God.
Whether it's your spouse, whether it's your kids, whether it's your job, whether it's your your money, whether it's a pleasure or or comfort, or whether it's you know having things easy in life. Idolatry. Anything you put before God, those thoughts and those desires, that's of the flesh and that is not who you are anymore. You are of the spirit. You are born again and you have the capacity as empowered by the Holy Spirit to follow him in everything, and to take captive those thoughts from your mind and saying, wait, that's not from me, that's not from Jesus, that's from the flesh or from the enemy, so I'm rebuking that and I'm doing something different.
We'll get to it. Idolatry and witchcraft. Well, we know about like, what is witchcraft, spells, and all of that kind of stuff. But a little more subtle, what is witchcraft, it's rebellion. Rebellion is the spirit of witchcraft.
Learning how to submit to authority, learning about the authority that God's placed over our life, learning learning how to honor, that kind of thing. That is of the Holy Spirit and is important. Witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you as I did before that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. If you have received Jesus, that these things, these thoughts, these desires that come in your mind, do not feel condemned anymore when that desire comes in that that is from the old person that you used to be.
That is dead in Christ Jesus. It's been condemned in Jesus' flesh fully and totally. It's not who you are anymore. You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. You have the capacity now to instead of acting on the desire, acting on the thought, or being condemned by it, taking it captive, and setting your mind on things above.
We'll talk about that in a second. Actually, let's go there now. Romans. Back to Romans. So what do we do?
What do we do? Verse Romans-8:5. It says, according to the flesh, those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires. But those who live in accordance with the spirit have their minds set on what the spirit desires. Some of you, as I'm as I'm talking about this, like this is brand new.
Wait a second. I'm not the sum total of of my desires. I can I don't have to take every desire that I have and and take it as my own identity? Some of this is brand new to you. Some of some of you this is just a reminder.
But I want you to know, of what desires come up in your life, regardless of what thoughts come at you, you have a command by the Lord Jesus, "set your mind" on the spirit and live in accordance with the Holy Spirit and what the Holy Spirit desires, and take captive the other stuff. It says in verse 6, the mind governed by the flesh is death. The mind governed by the flesh is death. But the mind governed by the spirit is life and peace. I don't know about you, but I wanna experience life and peace in every aspect of my life.
And I know that any time I'm not experiencing an inner sense of life and peace, I've for some reason, I've let my mind get set on myself or set on something that's dead. And I have to go back and say, wait, hold on a Holy Spirit, where are you in this? I have to what we talked about last week, James-4:8, draw near to God and realize that he's near to me in the midst of this, even when I didn't feel him, or even when I when I forgot for a second who I was. I'm going back and and reminded of my identity, reminded of who Jesus says that I am, so that I can stay in step with the Holy Spirit. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God.
It does not submit to God's law nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. As I read that, some of you are feeling really condemned right now. Some of you are like, oh my gosh, he's talking about me. And you've already received Jesus.
I'm not talking about you. Stop that. Stop condemning yourself. Stop looking at what you've done and and applying that to who you are. You are not, you are not the sum total of what you're done, you've done in the past.
You are not your past anymore. You are who Jesus says that you are. Jesus has purchased your past and given you his future. Let's walk in it together. Watch this.
This is who Paul says by the Holy Spirit, and who God says that you are, and who I say that you are. Romans-8 verse 9. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh, but are in the realm of the spirit, if the spirit of God lives in you. If you've received the spirit of God, the spirit of God lives in you. That is who you are.
It's time to believe it. It's time to walk in it. It's time to receive that, and take captive the other junk. All of the other stuff that's selfishness. All the other stuff that's causing division.
All of the other stuff. All of those things, take that captive and reject it. Because your *identity* first and foremost is a child of the king, and that trumps everything. And if you're a child of the king, and I'm a child of the king, we can grow together, we can encourage 1 another, We can call out some junk when we see it out of love, and you can receive it in love. We can receive it together in love and keep walking towards Jesus as we unify so that the world may know.
So what does it look like then? We talked a lot about walking by the flesh. What does it look like to walk by the spirit? What does that look like in our life? Well, *Galatians-5* It says the fruit.
What is fruit? The Bible uses fruit a lot of times. It's basically the results. The results of the spirit. The results of the spirit, really because this is a singular.
The result of the spirit in your life. The result of walking by the spirit. The Holy Spirit who's inside of you, who is the the realm that you are in. You have been born of God, born of spirit. You have everything that you need for a life of godliness because you have all of the Holy Spirit in you right now if you've received Jesus.
The result of that is this, *love*, joy, *peace*, forbearance, which is like patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Against these things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. And since we live by the spirit, let us keep in step with the spirit. Let's keep in step.
Let's set our mind on things above. Let's set our mind on who he says that we are, and let all of those *identity* that we've we've always said that are not in line with what his word says about us because his word is true. Those identity statements that that that we've always said that I've always done, or I've all I I can't do, or I ain't gonna do, I'll never do. This always frustrates me. No.
No. No. You have the fruit, the result of the spirit in your life. So you can live in patience. You can live in love.
You just have to believe that he's placed that inside of you. He's placed in you everything that you need to do that. And then you also need to get in community with others that are walking this thing out with you, so that when you take your mind, you take your eyes off of Jesus and off of who he says that you are, and off of his Holy Spirit in you, and and you get stuck there for a little bit, you need some some people that are walking by the spirit to look at you and say, hey. And to either hold your arms up a little bit. Right?
Maybe maybe give you a hard loving word if you need it. Or or maybe just to encourage you to walk forward. You need community. It's so vital. And first what you need is community with the Holy Spirit.
You need to realize that God loves you, God cares for you, and you can experience the person of the Holy Spirit in your daily life. He is love and he wants to love you right where you are. You can experience the power of the Holy Spirit not just for you, but through you. His plan is to use his power through love to change your life, but also through your changed life to change the lives of those around you. To realize once God sets you free from you that life is no longer about you, but it's about laying down your life to to follow and serve the king of kings and lord of lords, and to love those around you so that they can experience the love of Jesus through you.
Not just the power, but the presence. So you can know and experience his presence, but also be a carrier of his presence in your daily life. So that everywhere you go, when you speak, people experience the presence of God because you've been so broken on the outside. Your he's developed this character. You've been so broken that the treasure that's inside of you is not held back by your flesh any longer.
Because you understand who you are, so your flesh has been broken so that the light of his presence can shine through and impact everyone around you in every situation that you're going through. Whether you're pressed, hard crushed, persecuted, abandoned, you can be thankful. You can rejoice in all situation situations because you know his presence is with you and in you, and he loves you, and he cares for you, and he's given you everything that you need. And he's he's up in heaven saying, man, look at my boy. Look at my daughter.
I can't wait. The enemy's attacking them right now, but I've already given them everything that they need. I just I I He's looking over the clouds, and I can't wait to see how he responds with these gifts, This amazing power I've put in him. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is in her, and I can't wait to see how she responds. Oh, just let her believe.
Let her believe what I've done for her. Let her believe how much I love her. Let her believe the power that I've put in her. Let her believe the identity that she has in me. Let her believe everything that I've said to her.
Some of you are watching right now and you're like, man, God loves me that much. Yeah. He really does. Some of you are watching right now and you feel like, man, I I don't know that God you're talking about. I've always played like I knew him, but I was just playing church.
It's time to know him. Maybe you're watching right now and you're like, I want to know him. I never went to church before, but somehow I got drew into this crazy preacher and I'm listening and I'm watching God speak to me. Feel something here. I got to know this God you're talking about.
You can. He's calling you, man. He's drawing you to him. Let's turn turn your heart to him right now. If that's you, repeat this after me.
It's not about this mantra. It's about a heart position. It's about being genuine and saying, God I need you. Say this. Say, Jesus, I believe.
I believe you died for me. I never have before but I believe it now. For some reason, I believe you paid for my sin. Forgive me. And I believe you rose again because I see you.
I see you in this crazy preacher's eyes. I see you in in other Christians lives that have impacted me, and I want to experience that life now. Say that. I want to experience your life. I receive you.
I receive you. The bible says you're forgiven. Your past is wiped away as far as the East is from the West. It's not about what you've done or hadn't done, it's about your belief in Jesus. You're not working for it, but letting go right there.
Jesus calls you justified, just as if you've never done it. All guilt, shame wiped away. Receive it. Say thank you. Just say this with me as a confession of faith.
Thank you Jesus that I'm forgiven. Thank you that I'm loved by you. Holy Spirit, I don't know who you are, but I want to invade my space right now. I receive you. Jesus' name.
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