Thesis
In Galatians 5, Paul urges believers who have been set free by Jesus — saved by faith in Christ plus nothing — not to return to slavery but to walk in the Spirit's power. Because every Jesus follower has died with Christ and been raised to new life, the same resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead now lives within them. The practical question is not whether believers possess the Holy Spirit, but whether they are surrendered enough to listen to His voice and obey it in the small, daily moments of life.
Key points
- 1
Salvation is Jesus plus nothing — faith in Christ alone sets us free, and we must not return to any form of slavery.
- 2
The whole law is summed up in loving your neighbor as yourself, which is the true aim of Christian freedom.
- 3
Every believer experiences a daily battle between the sinful nature and the Holy Spirit — and the fruit of whichever side wins is visible in their life.
- 4
Those who belong to Christ have crucified their sinful nature with Him — the old self died with Christ and we are now raised to new life.
- 5
Because we are living by the Spirit, we must follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.
- 6
The power available to every believer is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, and it is at work within us.
- 7
Walking in the Spirit means learning to listen to and obey the Spirit's voice in small, everyday moments — not just in major decisions.
Outline
Introduction: Running Through Life with Your Head Down
Pastor Pat opens with a personal story about hitting his head on a steel beam while distracted, using it as a picture of how we often go through life — not paying attention — and end up hurting ourselves and those around us.
The Big Idea: You Have the Holy Spirit, But Does He Have You?
The central question of the sermon is introduced: every believer who has put faith in Jesus possesses the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9), but the uncomfortable question is whether the Holy Spirit actually has us.
Freedom From Slavery: Galatians 5:1 and the Gospel
Paul's cry for freedom in Galatians 5:1 is unpacked using the Braveheart illustration. Salvation is Jesus plus nothing, and the Galatians were being tempted to add circumcision — a religious identity marker — to the gospel, which Paul forcefully rejects.
Freedom to Love: Galatians 5:13-14
Paul uses the word 'freedom' three times in a single verse, clarifying that the freedom Christ gives is not freedom to sin but freedom to serve one another in love — and the whole law is summed up in loving your neighbor as yourself.
The Battle Within: Galatians 5:16-23
Paul describes the daily battle between the sinful nature and the Holy Spirit using the vivid imagery of NFL linemen in slow motion. The fruit of whoever is winning — either the works of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit — is plainly visible in a person's life.
Died and Raised With Christ: Galatians 5:24
The core of Christianity is that the old self died with Christ on the cross and has been raised to new life — illustrated by baptism. The danger is that believers keep 'digging up the old corpse' rather than living as the new creation they already are.
Walking in the Spirit: Galatians 5:25 and the Power Available to Us
Paul calls believers to follow the Spirit's leading in every part of life. Using Ephesians 3:20, Pastor Pat emphasizes that the power available to believers is the same resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead — yet many live powerlessly because they have not tapped into it.
Practical Application: Listen and Obey
Four illustrations — Barney Fife's unloaded gun, a locomotive, a battery, and sailing — make the practical point concrete: walking in the Spirit means learning to listen to and obey the Spirit's voice in small, daily moments, so that when big decisions come, we already know His voice.
Closing Challenge and Prayer
Pastor Pat challenges the church to spend one week paying close attention to the Spirit's voice and obeying in the small things, closing with the image of a parent-teacher conference where the grade card is turned over and what truly matters is character — and how connected we were to God's Spirit.
Memorable moments
You have the Holy Spirit, but does the Holy Spirit have you
You will never get off your throne until you get on the cross
Our problem is that we go to that graveyard and we start digging up that old stinking corpse, the old Pat McCullough, the one who looked at these things, the one who thought these thoughts, the ones who said these things, that's the old Pat McCullough, he died with Christ
I've been talking to you for three years and you haven't listened. No wonder you can't hear my voice anymore
This same power that raised Lazarus from the dead, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, the power that created this universe. This unimaginable power is at work within us
tell me how connected you were to my spirit. How'd you live this new life I gave you
Application
Pastor Pat's challenge is direct and personal: for the next week, pay close attention to the Spirit's voice in the small, everyday moments — when you've said something unkind to your spouse or children, when you feel nudged to help a stranger, when the Spirit says to turn something off or hold back a harsh word. Don't wait for a dramatic, audible voice on a major decision; learn to listen and obey in the little things, because that is how you develop ears to hear God in the big ones. The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead lives inside every believer — the question is not whether you have Him, but whether you are surrendered enough to let Him lead. Start today: listen, and then do whatever He tells you.
