Transcript of Sabbath Meeting - 12/29/2000

Tonight I would like to speak on a subject that is very important..yet seldom dealt with.

Tonight I would like to talk about the importance of bearing the "Fruits of the Spirit".

Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Galatians 5:23 - gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

I believe that the above fruits will manifest themselves when we do, from the bottom of our heart have love for Yahweh and love for one another.

Let's consider what a fruit is. Not unlike the fruit of a tree, it is brought forth with patience.

Luke 8:15 - But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

John 15:1 - I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

John 15:2 - Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

John 15:3 - Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

John 15:4 - Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

John 15:5 - I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

John 15:6 - If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

John 15:7 - If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

John 15:8 - Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

For it glorifies the Father

Let us be sure that we bear the fruits of the Spirit in us!

But let it be known that when we bear the fruits..we also will be purged (as in verse 2)..so that we might bear more fruit.

Going back to our examples of the fruits of the Spirit, let's examine them:

Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

The first fruit mentioned is love

This is the greatest of all. We know that if we cannot love, we are not His.

Our first duty is to love Yahweh

Yahshua said:

Mark 12:30 - And thou shalt love YAHWEH thy Elohim with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

The fruits of the Spirit do not just show up on the outside out of nowhere. They must come from Yahweh. And Yahweh's Spirit which is in us allows these fruits to grow.

If our heart is evil, bad fruits will manifest themselves:

Luke 6:43 - For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Luke 6:44 - For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

Luke 6:45 - A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Our words can surely reveal what Spirit is in us.

We must beware of any idle word which we speak.

We need to strive to let every word that proceeds out of our own mouth be full of Yahweh's fruits.

For we shall be judged by every idle word.!

Matthew 12:36 - But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

The same greek word that is translated "idle" in the verse above is translated "barren" in this verse:

2Peter 1:8 - For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Master Yahushua the Messiah.

But especially on Yahweh's Sabbath Day!

Our words should not be idle at all!

we should not speak our own words

Isaiah 58:13 - If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of YAHWEH, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

Isaiah 58:14 - Then shalt thou delight thyself in YAHWEH; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of YAHWEH hath spoken it.

So our words and actions also must bear the fruit of love for Yahweh.

Many believe they love Yahweh.

Many believe that they love Yahshua

But if we love

John 14:15 - If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Our words and actions must also bear the fruit of love for our brother.

Yes, we must surely love our brother:

1John 4:20 - If someone says, "I love YAHWEH," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love YAHWEH whom he has not seen?

1John 4:21 - And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves YAHWEH must love his brother also.

The second fruit is JOY.

Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Indeed, when we are in Yahweh's kingdom..a place full of the Spirit of Yahweh..joy will be the theme!

Isaiah 35:10 - And the ransomed of YAHWEH shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Let's pray that we be found worthy to attain that age

And trust in the mercy of Yahweh through Yahshua

There are times of sorrow in this world but the joy in us should be the overriding fruit for this is totally from Yahweh!

How do we 'obtain' joy?

I believe it comes from just our total love and appreciation for what Yahweh has done in our lives and in the lives of others.

If we truly remember all that Yahweh has done

We can have this Joy

I believe that our thanksgiving to Yahweh is the soil in which this fruit shall grow!

Now let's look at the next fruit: Peace

Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

We all have felt this inner shalom that only Yahweh Almighty can give.

Even in times of stress this shalom awaits us when we cry out to Him in prayer with thanksgiving.

The shalom really cannot be described. It is beyond understanding:

Philippians 4:6 - Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto YAHWEH.

Philippians 4:7 - And the peace of YAHWEH, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through the Messiah Yahushua.

Isaiah 48:22 - There is no peace, saith YAHWEH, unto the wicked.

Isaiah 32:17 - And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

Matthew 10:34 - Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Matthew 10:35 - For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

Matthew 10:36 - And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

Matthew 10:37 - He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Matthew 10:38 - And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

And generally...those around us will be amazed

Now let's look at the next fruit: Longsuffering

Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

In Hebrew, longsuffering means 'patient, slow to anger' This is so true of our Elohim!

Yahshua taught us of the longsuffering of Yahweh

Luke 13:6 - He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

Luke 13:7 - Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

Luke 13:8 - And he answering said unto him, Master, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

Matthew 18:21 - Then came Kepha to him, and said, Rabbi, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

Matthew 18:22 - Yahushua saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Matthew 18:23 - Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

Matthew 18:24 - And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

Matthew 18:25 - But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his master commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

Matthew 18:26 - The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Master, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

Matthew 18:27 - Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

HalleluYah for the mercy of Yahweh!

Now.. Is this our attitude with our brethren:

Matthew 18:28 - But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

Matthew 18:29 - And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

Matthew 18:30 - And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

Matthew 18:31 - So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their master all that was done.

Matthew 18:32 - Then his master, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

Matthew 18:33 - Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

Matthew 18:34 - And his master was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

Matthew 18:35 - So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

The fruits of the Spirit indeed.

If Yahweh is longsuffering, so will we..if His Spirit is in us

Proverbs 19:11 - The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.

It is Yahweh's longsuffering Spirit that should manifest itself in us toward others

The next time we consider not being longsuffering with a brother, consider the fact that Yahweh certainly IS .....

and if we are NOT, then the fruits of His Spirit are not manifesting in us!

And according to Matthew 18, we are in grave danger

Now lets consider the next fruit: Gentleness/Kindness

Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

2Timothy 2:22 - Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on YAHWEH out of a pure heart.

2Timothy 2:23 - But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.

2Timothy 2:24 - And the servant of YAHWEH must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

2Timothy 2:25 - In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if YAHWEH peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

We must be gentle, kind, and faithful to all..when we are, this is truly edifying the body

Psalms 18:35 - Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.

Yahweh's gentleness in us can edify others

Now let's examine another fruit: Goodness

If we have any good at all in us, it comes from Yahweh

Matthew 19:17 - And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, YAHWEH: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

For Yahweh is good:

Psalms 33:5 - He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of YAHWEH.

Psalms 34:8 - O taste and see that YAHWEH is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Psalms 119:68 - Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.

Nahum 1:7 - YAHWEH is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

Now there could be an entire message on this fruit alone (as well as the others) but let us consider that without faith, we cannot please Yahweh

Hebrews 11:6 - But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to YAHWEH must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Faith also involves trust

When we lack faith and trust in Yahweh, we show to Him that we do not believe that He is.

Let's always trust Him for our needs and let Him direct our paths:

Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in YAHWEH with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Proverbs 3:6 - In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Deuteronomy 32:20 - And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

Luke 18:7 - And shall not YAHWEH avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

Luke 18:8 - I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

So Let's allow the Spirit of Yahweh bear the fruit of faith in us.

Let's put off our old mind and be conformed to the image of Yahshua the Messiah. And let us not forget that faith without works is DEAD faith

Let's be doers of the word and not hearers only

James 1:22 - But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

James 1:23 - For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;

James 1:24 - for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

James 1:25 - But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

James 2:18 - But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Gala 5:22 (kjv) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Matthew 11:28 - Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:29 - Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Numbers 12:3 - (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

What is meekness?

In Hebrew it means to be 'poor, humble, lowly'. As a result our fruits will be full of gentleness and mildness.

Psalms 25:8 - Good and upright is YAHWEH: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.

Psalms 25:9 - The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

Psalms 149:4 - For YAHWEH taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.

Isaiah 61:1 - The Spirit of the Master YAHWEH is upon me; because YAHWEH hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

Psalms 37:9 - For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon YAHWEH, they shall inherit the earth.

Psalms 37:10 - For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

Psalms 37:11 - But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Matthew 5:5 - Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Now let's examine the final fruit: temperance.

Gala 5:22 (kjv) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

We must have this fruit of the Spirit in our lives if we want to be overcomers.

Let us recognize that this fruit comes from Yahweh!

The roots of this word come from words meaning "strong, robust, power, dominion and strength". We know that if we rely on our own strength, we will fail but...

Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through the Messiah which strengtheneth me.

Let's pay close attention to that oath:

Isaiah 45:23 - I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

Isaiah 45:24 - Surely, shall one say, in YAHWEH have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.

Let's be overcomers! Let's just permit His Spirit to flow freely in us so that we may bear these fruits of HIS Spirit!

Revelation 3:21 - "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Revelation 21:6 - And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.

Revelation 21:7 - "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his Elohim and he shall be My son.

It is He that we can rely on to help us be overcomers!

It is not easy to imagine the rewards that await us but we must endure!!

1Corinthians 2:9 - But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which Elohim hath prepared for them that love him.

We need to prepare ourselves and cleanse ourselves from all works of the flesh and bear fruits unto Yahweh that are worthy of repentance!!

When we walk in the Spirit, we bear the fruits thereof.

Let us all be of one mind my brethren...and that is to serve Yahweh our King with all our heart and all of our soul and all of our might Lets be mindful of the needs of our brethren even more so then our own needs.

For this fulfills Yahshua's commandment that we should love one another as He has loved us!

Yahushua saw our need!

He saw that we were lost.. without hope

And look at all He did for us!!

Let's consider one another better than our ownselves..let's put off all malice and pride!

Now, more than ever..WE NEED EACH OTHER

All should put aside foolish talking, coarse jesting, ego fights and vain strife. Yes, cast off these wretched things and pick up the armor of Yahweh!

We must show the world who Yahweh and magnify His name by letting Him manifest these fruits of His Spirit dwelling in us

Let's focus on the common thread that separates us from the world. This is that we love Yahweh and ALL of His word, not just a part.

But if we do not love His word, how can we love Yahushua?

For Yahushua IS the Word!

Our love for the word is revealed in our lives

We must walk worthy of the calling with which we were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace

Loving Yahweh is more than keeping a Sabbath day or keeping feast days

Having Yahshua in us is more than observing commonly ignored commandments

We must surely not go to the other extreme and make the mistake of the Pharisees

Yahweh desires worship

But worship in Spirit

as well as in truth

These fruits that we bear will bind us together in a cord not easily broken.

So let's continue to focus on what is pure. Let's put aside the things that are idle, the things that are vain and let's sow into our hearts... Righteousness

Galatians 6:8 - For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Galatians 6:9 - And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Galatians 6:10 - Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

And when the time of trouble comes, we will have refuge in the latter days. For there is a certain promise in the latter days:

Malachi 3:16 - Then they that feared YAHWEH spake often one to another: and YAHWEH hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared YAHWEH, and that thought upon his name.

For I believe that there are certain ones who will be spared in the time of the great tribulation:

Malachi 3:17 - And they shall be mine, saith YAHWEH of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

Ephesians 4:22 - that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,

Ephesians 4:23 - and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

Ephesians 4:24 - and that you put on the new man which was created according to Elohim, in true righteousness and holiness.

And with that, I will close. May Yahweh bless each and every one of you!