The Forgotten Fruit

The forgotten fruit is peace, not the world’s kind of peace that comes and goes when circumstances change, but the peace that comes from being made right with God through Jesus Christ. Paul’s list in Galatians 5 says that believers can live in the Spirit while still failing to walk in the Spirit. The fruit of peace shows whether a heart is lined up vertically with God before trying to get things right horizontally with other people.

Christ gives a peace that the world cannot give. John 14:27 says, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid,” because Jesus is in control and Jesus will provide. The peace of God is kingdom security, reconciliation, comfort, well being, hope, and the assurance that eternal life is God’s gift through the finished work of Calvary. Salvation cannot rest on Bubba doing enough, but on faith in what Christ has already done.

Worship carries that same peace into a hurting world. The worship hour cannot become a place for showing talent, pushing preferences, or competing over hymns and new songs. Songs that lift up Jesus, whether soft or devil chasing, prepare the soil of the heart to receive the Word of God. The music team, choir, preachers, teachers, back of the house, and congregation all minister together when they come ready to give God their flat level best.

The cross gives the picture of peaceful worship. The vertical stake has to be driven into the ground before the horizontal beam can reach out. Peace with God must come first, or else strife, jealousy, rivalry, and covetousness will keep breaking up the family of God. Romans 5:1 declares that justification by faith gives peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Peace also refuses to say “peace, peace” when there is no peace. Jeremiah warns against healing people slightly while sin and covetousness remain untouched. Peacemakers are not merely peacekeepers who avoid hard things. Peacemakers call sin what it is, seek reconciliation, and pursue the wisdom from above that is pure, peaceful, gentle, full of mercy, and without hypocrisy.

Christ made peace through the blood of His cross. The gospel therefore welcomes every willing soul, no matter where that soul has been or what that soul has done. Jesus remains the way, the truth, and the life, and those who receive His gift are called to worship in truth and Spirit so that somebody else can see Jesus in them.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Peace begins vertically with God [01:03:04] The cross shape of peace matters because reconciliation with God comes before healthy relationships with people. A heart that stays out of line with God will carry strife into the choir, the classroom, the home, and the church. Christ establishes the vertical peace that makes horizontal peace possible. [63:04]
• 2. Worship is ministry, not performance [55:32] Worship leaders minister the Word of God through the songs they sing, and the congregation ministers through active participation. Talent without a surrendered heart cannot prepare fertile ground for the gospel. Jesus must be lifted up rather than personal preference, visibility, or applause. [55:32]
• 3. Peacemakers tell the truth in love [01:10:53] Peacekeeping can become a way of avoiding sin, hard conversations, and godly standards. Peacemaking seeks healing that is real, not the shallow declaration of “peace, peace” where no repentance has happened. The wisdom from above remains pure before it is peaceful. [70:53]
• 4. Christ gives peace the world cannot [56:27] Worldly peace depends on comfort, control, and favorable circumstances. Christ’s peace holds steady because He is in control and because eternal life rests on His finished work at Calvary. Fear loses its final word when the believer trusts the One who provides. [56:27]
• 5. Every believer has a place [01:00:16] The body of Christ has no unnecessary members and no place for competition. Singers, teachers, musicians, workers, and congregants all help lead when they worship God in truth and Spirit. Unity grows when each person gives God the best rather than measuring against somebody else.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [40:24] - Creating a Place for Worship
• [41:26] - The Obligation to Preach Jesus
• [42:17] - The Pumpkin Patch as Outreach
• [43:54] - A Church for the Whole Family
• [44:50] - The Forgotten Fruit of Peace
• [48:12] - Peace as the Fruit of the Spirit
• [49:38] - Peace Through the Gift of Salvation
• [51:12] - Worship Leaders and True Worship
• [56:04] - Christ’s Peace Above Worldly Peace
• [62:54] - The Cross Shape of Peace
• [66:31] - False Peace and Covetousness
• [68:25] - Worship That Edifies the Body
• [70:31] - Peacemakers, Not Peacekeepers
• [77:59] - The Invitation to Receive Christ

1. In Galatians 5:22-25, what does Paul list as the fruit of the Spirit, and what does he say believers should do if they live by the Spirit? [45:17]
2. What contrast does Jesus make in John 14:27 between His peace and the peace the world gives? [56:17]
3. According to Romans 5:1, what comes through being justified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? [01:06:00]
4. In Jeremiah 6:13-14, what sins were still present when people were saying, “Peace, peace,” and what does that show about their healing? [01:06:20]

1. Paul says believers can live by the Spirit and still need to keep in step with the Spirit. What might it look like for a Christian to belong to Christ but not be walking closely with Him in daily life? [45:40]
2. Romans 5:1 connects peace with God to justification by faith. Why is peace with God stronger than simply feeling calm when life is going well? [50:23]
3. Jesus says His peace is not given as the world gives. What kinds of things does worldly peace usually depend on, and why can those things fail a person? [56:37]
4. Matthew 5:9 blesses peacemakers, while Jeremiah warns against pretending there is peace when sin remains. How can believers seek peace without ignoring sin, hurt, or the need for repentance? [01:11:03]

1. When circumstances have been uncertain or frightening lately, where have you looked for peace first: control, comfort, other people, or Christ? What would it look like to bring that concern to Jesus this week? [56:27]
2. Peace with God comes before peace with people. Is there any area of life where your relationship with God needs attention before you try to fix a conflict with someone else? [01:05:19]
3. Is there a relationship where you have been trying to keep things quiet rather than deal honestly with a real issue? What could truthful, gentle peacemaking look like in that situation? [01:10:51]
4. Covetousness and comparison can stir up jealousy and rivalry in the family of God. When are you most tempted to compare your gifts, role, possessions, or recognition with somebody else’s? [01:07:01]
5. Worship is not a performance or a time to push personal preferences; it is a time to lift up Jesus. What attitudes or distractions can make you more of a spectator than a participant in worship? [01:21:34]
6. Every believer has a place in the body of Christ, whether serving publicly or quietly. Where has God given you an opportunity to strengthen, encourage, or help others in the church family? [01:00:16]
7. Christ made peace through the blood of His cross, and His invitation is open to every willing soul. Is there someone in your life who needs to hear that Jesus can forgive, restore, and give real peace? What is one simple way you could point them to Him? [01:16:08]