THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT | Pastor Matthew Johnson

"The Holy Spirit must first kill the old you before he can produce the new you." — Pastor Matthew Johnson

Pastor Matthew Johnson continued The Tree Church's series on the holy Spirit this week with a message on the fruit of the Spirit. Teaching from Galatians chapter 5, he showed the church what it looks like to walk by the Spirit instead of the flesh, and why that choice shapes everything about a person's life.

Pastor Matthew opened by sharing about his own family, including the joy and challenge of watching his kids grow into adulthood. He talked about moving into a new season as a father, where his role is shifting from authority to advisor. He shared honestly that when he was younger, he often thought he knew more than he actually did, and looking back now, he can see how much he still had to learn.

He said this personal reflection connects directly to why he continues to pursue growth in his own life. He gave three reasons for this, but focused the message on one in particular. He believes there is only one road in life, but two completely different destinations.

Pastor Matthew explained that scripture consistently teaches this same truth from beginning to end. He pointed to Deuteronomy, where God set before His people a choice between obedience and disobedience, blessing and curse, life and death. He then connected this to the teaching of Jesus, who described a narrow path that leads to life and a broad path that leads to destruction.

He explained that the Apostle Paul teaches the same principle in Galatians 5, describing a life led by the Spirit that leads to real life, compared to a life led by the flesh that leads to separation from God. Pastor Matthew was clear that this decision affects every part of a person's life, including relationships, finances, health, and eternity.

Turning to Galatians 5:16-17, Pastor Matthew gave background on the letter Paul wrote to the church in Galatia. Some believers there were teaching that faith in Jesus was not enough, and that people also needed to follow the law to be saved. Paul corrected this, but also addressed a related question. If salvation comes through faith alone, does obedience still matter?

Paul's answer was to point people back to the Holy Spirit. Pastor Matthew explained that Paul describes an ongoing struggle between the flesh and the Spirit, calling believers to walk by the Spirit rather than gratify the flesh. He described the flesh as something completely natural, something no one has to be taught. He illustrated this with a lighthearted story about young twins in the church who never had to be taught how to say the word mine, or how to react when they did not get their way.

Pastor Matthew explained that becoming a new creation in Christ requires the Holy Spirit to deal directly with old patterns. He put it plainly. The Holy Spirit must first kill the old you before he can produce the new you. He connected this to a simple but important principle. Every appetite you feed grows stronger. Every appetite you starve grows weaker. He said the choice of what to feed, whether the flesh or the Spirit, belongs to every believer.

Pastor Matthew then walked through the list Paul gives in Galatians 5:19-21, describing the works of the flesh as sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, and orgies. He took time to define each one clearly, helping the church understand what these terms mean in everyday life rather than leaving them as vague religious language.

He then gave practical, sometimes humorous examples of how people unintentionally feed these things in daily life. He mentioned how constantly watching one sided news coverage can grow division, how scrolling through social media can grow envy, and how replaying imaginary arguments in our minds can grow anger rather than resolve it. His point was that people rarely want more of these traits in their lives, yet many daily habits quietly grow them anyway.

From there, Pastor Matthew moved into Galatians 5:22-23, where Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. He pointed out that Paul uses the word fruit in a singular sense, meaning all nine qualities are meant to be present and growing together in a believer's life, rather than picked and chosen individually.

He gave a clear definition for each one. Love is choosing what is best for someone else even when it costs something personally. Joy is a deep gladness rooted in God rather than circumstances. Peace is an inner steadiness that comes from trusting God. Patience is remaining steady through difficult people or situations. Kindness is treating others with care and generosity. Goodness is choosing what is morally right, even when no one is watching. Faithfulness is being dependable and following through on commitments. Gentleness is strength that stays under control. Self control is keeping desires in check rather than being controlled by them.

Pastor Matthew then addressed a practical question many people ask. If this is the goal, how does it actually happen? He offered four ways the Holy Spirit produces this fruit in a believer's life.

First, the Holy Spirit sets the standard. Pastor Matthew was clear that the standard for a Christian's life does not come from culture, personal feelings, or the people someone spends the most time with. It comes from the Spirit of God.

Second, the Holy Spirit gives believers opportunity to grow. Referencing Romans chapter 5, Pastor Matthew explained that suffering that comes from choosing obedience over the flesh produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope. He compared this to the process of training physically, where consistency over time changes what a person is able to handle.

Third, the Holy Spirit engages believers through conviction. Pastor Matthew connected this directly to the previous week's message, explaining that conviction reminds believers to trust Jesus, reminds them of who they are in Christ, and gives them an eternal perspective for the choices they make.

Fourth, the Holy Spirit empowers believers to actually change. Pastor Matthew referenced a phrase found in the books of Ezra and Haggai, where scripture says the spirit of God stirred the spirits of the people. He explained that when believers respond in obedience, God meets them with strength to follow through.

Pastor Matthew returned to the list of fruit and offered specific, practical ways to grow in each area, such as looking for ways to serve people who cannot repay it in order to grow in love, or practicing small moments of saying no to oneself in order to grow in self control. He closed this section by reading Galatians 5:24, where Paul reminds believers that those who belong to Christ Jesus have chosen to put the flesh and its desires to death.

To close the message, Pastor Matthew shared a personal story about an area of his own life where he struggled with self control, specifically around his eating habits. He described a moment last November when he sensed the Holy Spirit challenging him to give up sweets. He was honest that the following months, especially through the holiday season, were difficult. Over time, though, he noticed his desire for sweets had genuinely changed, and he no longer wanted or needed the same amount he once did.

He used this story to encourage the church that real change is possible when someone cooperates with the Holy Spirit, even after failure. He encouraged listeners to keep asking for help, keep getting back up, and trust that the Spirit is faithful to produce lasting change over time. The message closed in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal areas where the flesh has taken control, not to bring shame, but to lead the church toward life.

If you are searching for a church home in Lancaster or Logan, The Tree Church would love to welcome you. Our Lancaster location gathers at 721 N. Memorial Drive, Lancaster, OH 43130, and our Logan location gathers at 36 Hocking Mall, Logan, OH 43138. Both campuses meet every Sunday at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. Come as you are and grow with us.