INTRODUCTION...

-- Over these past three weeks, as we’ve walked through the fruit of the Spirit, we’ve witnessed something beautiful unfold. We’ve seen the inward character of Jesus—love, joy, peace—and the outward posture of Jesus—patience, kindness, goodness. And now we come to the final three attributes of the Spirit’s fruit: FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, and SELF-CONTROL.

-- These don’t always appear immediately when someone meets Jesus; they’re the qualities that grow slowly as we walk with Him over time—a “long obedience in the same direction,” as I was once instructed. These attributes ripen through storms and trials, through seasons of surrender and pressure, and through the patient work of time, producing Spirit-grown character—the slow, steady maturity the Holy Spirit forms in a believer.

-- Today we look at the fruit of a maturing Christian: FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, and SELF-CONTROL, and we’ll see biblical portraits—men and women whose lives demonstrate these traits so clearly that they continue to teach us how the Spirit shapes maturity in us.

1. FAITHFULNESS…STEADFAST DEPENDABILITY

-- We begin with FAITHFULNESS. Jesus tells the parable of the FAITHFUL servant:

MT 25:21
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and FAITHFUL servant! You were FAITHFUL over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’”

-- FAITHFULNESS means dependable trustworthiness—a heart that stays true to God and true to others. The Greek word can mean both “FAITH” and “FAITHFULNESS.” We see FAITHFULNESS on display in the life of an OT character, Caleb.

—> BIBLICAL PORTRAIT OF FAITHFULNESS…
CALEB — Faithful Over a Lifetime

A. NUMBERS — Ch 13–14, 26, 32, 34
- NUM 13…Moses chooses Caleb as a spy (v. 6) (he was 40 according to JOSHUA 14) || Caleb brings back a faithful report (v. 30)
- NUM 14:24…Caleb stands firm when Israel rebels, God commends Caleb’s “different spirit” and “wholehearted devotion” (v. 24)
- NUM 26:65…Reminder that only Caleb and Joshua survived the wilderness generation
- NUM 32:10-12…Caleb again highlighted as one who “followed the Lord completely”
- NUM 34:19…Caleb’s name listed among leaders receiving land allotments

B. DEUTERONOMY 1:35–36
Moses recalls Caleb’s faithfulness || God promises to give him the land he walked on

C. JOSHUA — Ch 14–15
[This is where Caleb’s faithfulness over a lifetime shines most clearly]
- JOSH 14:6–15…Caleb (now 85) reminds Joshua of God’s promise || He asks for Hebron || He declares, “I’m still as strong today as the day Moses sent me.”
- JOSH 15:13–19…Caleb receives the land/Hebron || He drives out the Anakim || Story of his daughter Achsah and Othniel (retold in JDG 1)

—> Caleb was faithful to God when he was 40—and he was still faithful when he was 85. He held onto God’s promises for decades while others wavered. Caleb reminds us that FAITHFULNESS is a long obedience in the same direction. What an awesome example.

-- FAITHFULNESS is BELIEF that becomes CONSISTENCY —showing up even when you don’t feel like it.
-- FAITHFULNESS is TRUST that becomes RELIABILITY —finishing what God asked you to do even when it’s difficult.
-- FAITHFULNESS is CONVICTION that becomes FOLLOW-THROUGH, doing the next right thing because God is worth it.
-- FAITHFULNESS isn’t flashy, but it’s powerful. It’s the quiet sermon of an obedient life. It’s the steady pattern of a devoted soul. It’s the daily “yes” that slowly shapes the character of Jesus in us.

2. GENTLENESS… STRENGTH UNDER SUBMISSION

-- Next is GENTLENESS. GENTLENESS is not weakness. GENTLENESS is strength that has been tamed by love. GENTLENESS is power submitted to the Spirit. GENTLENESS is what strength looks like when it’s ruled by humility.

- When you look at Jesus in LK 19–23, you see GENTLENESS lived out in breathtaking ways.

—> BIBLICAL PORTRAIT OF GENTLENESS…
JESUS — The King Who Chose Gentleness

LK 19:41-44...As He approaches Jerusalem, He weeps over the city rather than condemning it. [vs45-48 he cleansed the temple too]

LK 22:47-53...In the Garden, surrounded by fear and betrayal, He heals the ear of the very man who came to arrest Him and restrains His disciples from retaliation.

LK 22:63-23:43...When He stands before the Chief Priests, Herod and Pilate—being mocked, slandered, beaten and unjustly accused—He remained calm, composed, and surrendered to the Father’s will. And even in his suffering on the cross, he listened and loved the thief that professed Jesus was the Messiah. Make no mistake, Jesus had all authority and could have called down legions of angels to rescue him and judge everyone who was doing this to him, yet He chose the posture of humility.

-- That’s GENTLENESS: strength under control, power that refuses to harm, love that chooses restraint.

-- And this is what the Spirit grows in us—a steady, humble strength that brings calm into chaos, responds to hostility with compassion, and restores rather than crushes.
---- Parents, it’s the GENTLENESS that corrects without crushing.
---- Spouses, it’s the GENTLENESS that speaks truth without shaming.
---- Believers, it’s the GENTLENESS that responds to hostility with calm.

-- The Holy Spirit makes us powerful but peaceful. Truthful but kind. Courageous but calm. GENTLENESS is the soft edge of strength that reflects Jesus to a harsh world.

3. SELF-CONTROL… SPIRIT GIVEN MASTERY

-- Finally, SELF-CONTROL—the Spirit’s mastery within. SELF-CONTROL is not willpower. It is Spirit-power. Listed last, SELF-CONTROL functions as a capstone virtue that safeguards the others. The Spirit who indwells believers produces an internal governor, freeing them from the tyranny of “the desires of the flesh”…listen how Paul describes it in a couple of his writings…

—> GUIDING SCRIPTURES…
1 COR 9:19-27
“19 Although I am free from all and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win more people. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law ​— ​though I myself am not under the law ​— ​to win those under the law. 21 To those who are without the law, like one without the law ​— ​though I am not without God’s law but under the law of Christ ​— ​to win those without the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some. 23 Now I do all this because of the gospel, so that I may share in the blessings. 24 Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. 25 Now everyone who competes exercises SELF-CONTROL in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown. 26 So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. 27 Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

TITUS 2:11-13 NIV
“11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live SELF-CONTROLLED, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ”

-- The GRACE OF GOD teaches us to deny worldly desires. The GRACE OF GOD doesn’t lower the bar—it empowers you to reach it through SELF-CONTROL which is the Spirit-enabled mastery of desires, impulses, and habits so that they serve rather than rule the believer. It is not just human self discipline but a grace-driven capacity to bring every facet of our being under the lordship of Jesus for holy living and service to others.

—> BIBLICAL PORTRAIT OF SELF-CONTROL…
DAVID — Spirit-Guided Self-Control Under Pressure

-- One of the clearest biblical portraits of SELF-CONTROL is David in the cave of En-gedi. Saul, the King of Israel, was trying to kill David and his men. There was an ‘interesting’ moment that showed David’s SELF-CONTROL. If you haven’t read this chapter, buckle up!

1 SAM 24:1-22
Saul enters the cave unaware. David has the opportunity, motive, encouragement from his men, and justification to take Saul’s life. Everything in the flesh says, “This is your chance!” But David restrains himself. He refuses to take revenge. He says, “I will never lift my hand against him, since he is the Lord’s anointed.” [1 SAM 24:6]. David could have ended the conflict with Saul with a single strike. Instead, he entrusts himself to God and trusts that God will do what is right in avenging him.

-- That is SELF-CONTROL...the fruit that guards all the others—
-- When SELF-CONTROL Is Missing…
1. Love becomes obsession. (1 CORINTHIANS 13:5 — love “is not self-seeking”)
2. Joy becomes distraction. (PHILIPPIANS 4:4–9 — joy must be anchored in disciplined thought)
3. Peace becomes passivity. (COLOSSIANS 3:15 — peace rules the heart as we obey)
4. Patience becomes avoidance. (JAMES 5:7–8 — patience requires strength, not escape)
5. Kindness becomes enabling. (PROVERBS 3:3–4 — kindness must be joined with truth and wisdom)
6. Goodness becomes inconsistency. (GALATIANS 6:9 — doing good requires perseverance and discipline)
7. Faithfulness becomes short-lived intention. (PROVERBS 20:6 — faithfulness must endure beyond a moment)
8. Gentleness becomes compromise. (PROVERBS 15:1; MATTHEW 11:29 — gentleness must be grounded in righteousness)

—> SELF-CONTROL is the Spirit giving you mastery over desires so that your freedom doesn’t become chains.

4. HOW THESE THREE WORK TOGETHER…

-- When you put these three fruits together— FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, and SELF-CONTROL—you get a portrait of maturity.

- FAITHFULNESS anchors you.
- GENTLENESS tempers you.
- SELF-CONTROL guards you.

-- These last three attributes of the fruit of the Spirit make you steady in a shaky world…and the beauty of Jesus shines through. Picture the orchard at sunset. The wind is calm, and the fruit is full. Those trees endured storms. Their fruit is the evidence of deep roots. That’s what the Spirit is doing in you. Every storm you’ve stood through, every temptation you’ve resisted, every moment you chose obedience when it was hard—He’s been growing maturity. FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, and SELF-CONTROL—these are the Spirit’s fingerprints. The quiet evidence of Jesus formed in you.

-- As we close this Pneuma series, remember that life with the Holy Spirit is not theory—it is the daily, living experience of Jesus shaping you from the inside out. The Spirit you’ve encountered in these weeks is the personal, powerful presence of God Himself—fully God, eternally active in the Trinity, sent by Jesus to dwell in you, empower you, unite you, intercede for you, and transform you. He is the One who illuminates truth when your mind is clouded, anchors you when anxiety rises, strengthens you when courage runs thin, and prays for you when you don’t have words left. He gives wisdom when yours has run out, binds believers together with supernatural unity, distributes gifts that build up the body and advance the gospel, and fuels ordinary people with extraordinary power. And now, in these final weeks, we've seen the clearest evidence of His presence: the fruit He forms—the inward character of Jesus, the outward posture of grace, and the maturing strength that endures. This is the breathtaking work of the Spirit: taking imperfect people and making the life of Jesus unmistakably visible in them. So don’t settle for a Spiritless Christianity. Don’t live empty when you’ve been invited to live full. Yield to Him. Walk with Him. Listen to His voice. Trust His leading. Be filled daily with the Spirit who makes Jesus real in your heart, your habits, your relationships, and your witness. Let Him take every corner of your life and make it shine with the beauty, humility, boldness, and love of Jesus—because this is the life you were made for.

RESPOND, REFLECT & COMMUNION

I would like to give you a chance to respond to God…

-- What did God reveal about who he is to you today in our time in God’s word?
-- What did God reveal about what he has done or is doing in our time in God’s word?
-- What did you learn about who you are as we looked at these stories today?
-- What did you learn about what you are supposed to do?

—> Let's take a minute to thank Him, respond to Him, confess our sins to Him, examine our hearts before we take communion...

—> WHAT IS JESUS SAYING TO YOU TODAY?
—> WHAT IS JESUS ASKING YOU TO DO?