Children, K through 5th grade, you are now dismissed.
You're going to learn about God's promise to Abraham
and how he fulfilled that with the marriage of Jacob.
Would you open up your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 5,
18 through 21, and I'm just going to read that for us now.
It's the same passage we looked at last week.
Ephesians chapter 5, verses 18 through 21.
This is the word of God.
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery,
but be filled with the Spirit,
addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart,
giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
What will happen when God pours out His Spirit upon us?
What happens?
What will happen to us?
What will we experience?
If God were to fill us by His Spirit again and again and again,
what happens to a church?
That's what we read right here.
We read what happens to a church.
Last Sunday, I spent a good chunk of our time together
explaining why God prohibits drinking,
getting drunk in particular,
and how that ultimately leads to debauchery.
And I try to paint a couple pictures of the debauched life.
The prodigal son ended up eating with swine.
A Jeep bottomed out, axle stuck in a mud bog,
engine roaring, wheels spinning, mud flying,
but going nowhere, just getting deeper.
If anything, a Jeep stuck like that just gets more and more stuck.
Before we became Christians,
we lived a debauched life, many of us in this room.
We were stuck.
We were lovers of pleasure, hedonists.
Stuck.
Couldn't get ourselves out.
There's another kind of getting stuck.
It's not a hedonist, it's a legalist.
Someone who is a lover of rules and loves to enforce rules.
You weren't stuck in the mire of pleasure.
You were stuck in the mire of self-righteousness.
What turns out to be a very pure mud,
a very clean mud.
But you were stuck nonetheless.
The point is that before we became Christians,
all of us were stuck.
Whether it was the mire of a pleasure debauchery
or the mire of a self-righteous legalism.
But praise be to God.
He didn't leave us there.
For those of us who called on the name of Jesus.
God sent Jesus for us
and He pulled us out of the mire of our own making.
And He radically changed us.
The cross has changed everything in our lives.
God has called us to a new way of living.
We were wretches and He made us His treasure.
We were dead and He made us alive.
All by His grace.
And now God says,
walk, live your lives in a manner worthy of the calling
with which I've called you to.
In Ephesians 5, 1 He says,
be imitators of God.
In 5, 2 He says,
hey, walk like Christ.
Walk in love.
Live upward for the glory of God.
Sacrifice to Him.
And outward, give yourself for others.
Walk in love.
He goes on to say,
walk as children of light.
No longer participating in the unfruitful deeds of darkness.
But now we expose them.
We are the light of the Lord.
He goes on to say,
look carefully how you walk,
not as unwise, but as wise.
And then He says, how?
Making the most of the time.
Understanding the will of the Lord.
And we know from Ephesians,
the will of the Lord is this wonderful,
glorious plan of redemption.
It's an eternal plan.
God uniting all things in Christ,
including us.
We live our lives in light of that now.
Sounds great.
Sign me up.
Where do I sign?
This morning I want to ask the question,
not of where you sign,
but how does that happen?
How does a Christian live like that?
Where does that power come from?
How do you live a life of Christ-like holiness?
We live for Christ
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We live for Christ.
We live for Christ
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is present with us
to strengthen us
to live for Christ.
It's by His might
we walk in a manner worthy of our Lord.
The Holy Spirit is an ongoing,
empowering presence
in the life of a Christian
that results in the praise of Christ.
How do we live for Christ?
We live by the power of the Holy Spirit.
And so this morning,
what I want you to see
from Ephesians 5, 18-21
are two things.
We're going to focus on the command,
be filled by the Spirit.
And I want you to understand
what it means
to be filled by the Spirit.
And then the second thing
we're going to look at this morning
is the effects
of being filled by the Spirit.
When the Spirit fills His people,
He gets stuff done.
Things happen.
And we're going to see that
right out of our text.
So, first thing.
The command.
Be filled by the Spirit.
Ephesians 5, 18.
And do not get drunk with wine,
for that's debauchery,
a giant waste of time,
talent, and treasure.
But be filled with the Spirit.
And that results
in something wonderful.
There's four things
I want to point out to you
as we look at this command.
I want you to see
how the Spirit of God
is present in His people.
We're going to see
that He's personally present,
that He's purposefully present,
that He's powerfully present,
and that He is perpetually present
in the life of a believer.
You want to dig in?
The Holy Spirit is personally present.
In the Gospel of John,
in chapters 14, 15, and 16,
Jesus refers to the person
of the Holy Spirit
with a very interesting name.
He refers to Him in English
as the helper,
or some of your versions might say
advocate,
counselor.
And when Jesus talks
about the Holy Spirit this way,
He talks about the Holy Spirit
not as an it,
not the helper as an it,
the helper as a who,
the helper as a he.
Remember,
the Holy Spirit's not an it,
He is a who,
and He's not just any who,
He is the third person
of the Trinity.
He's the divine who.
He is the third person
of the Trinity.
He's distinct,
yet fully God.
So this Greek word for helper
is the Greek word paraclete,
not parakeet.
Paraclete.
And here's what that means.
It literally means
one who is called alongside
to help.
One who is called alongside
to help.
And so when Jesus in John 14,
15, and 16
is talking about the Holy Spirit,
He's talking about the helper,
and He's referring to Him,
this one who I will send,
who will come alongside
and help you,
He's going to do something.
It carries a double sense
of presence,
immediacy,
as well as aid,
strengthening.
The paraclete,
the Holy Spirit,
is present
in order to
strengthen.
I have befriended
a neighbor of mine
who is a personal trainer.
And the first time I met him,
it's a very funny story,
I will save it.
But a personal trainer
makes their living
by being personally present
in someone's life
to help transform them.
to help them lose some weight,
to gain some muscle mass,
to be fit.
Think of the Holy Spirit
as the ultimate
personal trainer.
Not just for individual Christians,
but for entire churches.
The Holy Spirit is seeking
to be present in our lives
to help us,
strengthen us,
to follow Christ,
to obey Him,
and be like Him.
Jesus sent Him
to be present with us.
And when we first
became Christians,
we learned from Romans 8
and Ephesians 2
that the Holy Spirit
indwelt us.
He came to reside in us.
And so when we talk about
being filled by the Spirit,
we're not talking about
the Holy Spirit
coming back into us
again and again and again.
It's more like this.
The Spirit who's already in us
is saying,
I'm here!
And I've got something to do.
And when we're filled
by the Spirit,
the Spirit is letting us know
He's there.
And it has an effect.
There's a very significant purpose
to His presence in us.
I just want to help you see
that He's actually present with us.
Jesus has sent Him to us.
He is with us.
And He's a person.
He's the paraclete.
He's personally present
and He's purposefully present.
I pointed you last week
to Ephesians chapter 3
and I tried to make the case
that the Holy Spirit
is desirous to fill us
with the fullness of God.
Do you remember?
The Apostle Paul prays
for these Christians in Ephesus.
Remember what he prays?
He prays that they would be strengthened
with power
through the Holy Spirit.
So that,
verse 17,
Christ may dwell
in their hearts
by faith.
And it amounts to,
in verse 19,
being filled with the fullness
of God.
God.
The Holy Spirit's
God of purpose.
He empowers us
in such a way
that Christ dwells
in our hearts
by faith.
Here's what it's getting at.
The Holy Spirit
who's present with us,
He's present with us
to make us aware
of Christ's presence.
Christ's dwelling in us.
That's what the Apostle prays
for these Christians.
Paul is praying
that the Holy Spirit
would make known
His powerful presence
for the purpose
of these Christians
and us
being aware of Christ.
Last week,
I pointed you
to John 16, 14.
And this is, again,
that passage where
Jesus is talking about
the paraclete.
And Jesus says,
in 16, 14,
He will glorify me.
When I send Him to you,
He,
the Helper,
will glorify me.
He will be with you
to strengthen you,
to spotlight me,
to make much of me.
And so,
the Spirit of God
is present personally
with us
for a purpose.
To spotlight Jesus
in our midst.
To make much of Christ
that we would become aware
of Christ in our midst,
dwelling among us.
I want to help you
see something.
In that passage
in Ephesians 3,
you can't help but realize
when you're reading
through it
that Paul is praying
that these Christians
would actually experience
the presence of Christ
through the power
of the Spirit.
He wants them
to know.
He wants them
to experience
the reality
of God's
multi-dimensional love
for them in Christ.
And so,
here's what I want you
to see in terms
of the Helper.
The Holy Spirit
is not just trying
to convince us
that these things
are true.
The Holy Spirit
is seeking
to help us
see the reality
of them.
For us to experience
the reality
of Christ.
The reality
of His love
for us.
The Holy Spirit
is the divine
realizer.
He makes Christ
real to us.
He makes His Word
real to us.
Even,
He makes our sin
real to us.
He brings it home.
The Holy Spirit
is personally present
and He is purposefully present
looking to
make Christ
real to us.
And the Holy Spirit
is powerfully present.
He's powerful.
When He fills us,
when He makes
His presence
known to us,
we'll actually
be made aware
of Christ.
But when He comes
and fills us afresh,
you know
what's going to happen?
In His power,
He's going to make us
holy.
He's going to
conform us
to the image
of Jesus.
Jesus is the aim.
He has what
we need
to be made
like Christ.
He's going to
unite us.
He has what
we need
not only to make us
holy,
but to unite us,
to one-ify us.
To make us
one body
under our
one head,
Jesus.
And the Holy Spirit
is also with us
powerfully
to enable
our witness.
if you were
to read
through the
Gospel of Luke
and the
book of Acts,
what you will
read over and
over and over
again,
is this
filling by
the Spirit
of God
on His people
and they
proclaim.
They make
known
Christ.
They can't
help but
speak of Him
to non-Christians.
The Holy Spirit
emboldens
our witness.
He gives us
power to
proclaim
the Holy Spirit
is present
personally,
purposefully,
powerfully,
and perpetually.
The verb
to be filled
in Ephesians 5.18
actually means
to be
ongoingly
and repeatedly
filled with
the fullness
of God
by the Spirit
of God.
That's what
He's getting at.
And what's
clear from
the verb
itself is
we don't
do the
filling.
We don't
fill ourselves
with the
fullness of
God.
That's what
the Holy Spirit
does.
He fills
us with
the fullness
of God.
And what that
means is this.
We are being
commanded,
exhorted in
Ephesians 5.18
to be
acted
upon,
to be
moved
upon,
to be
moved
upon
by the
Holy Spirit.
That's
what Paul
is saying.
Don't get
drunk with
wine that
leads to
debauchery.
Don't be
influenced
by booze
like that.
Be
influenced
by the
Holy Spirit.
Come
under
His
sway.
Come
under
His
perpetual
powerful
presence.
Do you
know what
this amounts
to?
This
amounts
to a
call
to
dependence
on the
Spirit.
we are
being
commanded
here to
over and
over again
be filled
by the
Spirit.
Be filled
by the
Spirit.
Do you
know why
He's
commanding
it that
way?
Because
we need
the Spirit
over and
over again.
He alone
has what
we need
in order
to walk
with Jesus
faithfully.
And so
therefore we
need Him
day after
day.
We need
the Spirit
present in
our lives
bringing
about a
power to
walk and
follow Jesus.
We see
that ongoing
dependence
played out
in other
spots.
Romans 12
1 and 2
there's a
command to
offer
yourselves
as a
living
sacrifice
to God
over and
over again.
To offer
yourself
repeatedly
to God.
In
Galatians 5
we're
commanded to
walk by
the Spirit
and that
is a
continual
command.
We're to
walk and
walk.
Independence
on the
Spirit.
We're to
be led
by the
Spirit.
Romans 8
again and
again.
We are
dependent on
the Spirit.
John 15
Jesus is
divine.
We are the
branches and
the Holy
Spirit empowers
us through
abiding in
Jesus.
We have an
ongoing need
to be for
the Holy
Spirit's
empowering
presence.
Filling
after filling
the Holy
Spirit making
himself known
to us by
aiming us
at Christ.
We cannot
supply for
ourselves what
only the
Spirit can.
We need
Him.
The Holy
Spirit is not
optional.
We depend
on Him.
He's present
with us.
Jesus.
Remember the
quote I read
last week.
With the
indwelling of
the Spirit at
the moment of
conversion, each
Christian has
all of the
Spirit.
But the
command to be
filled by the
Spirit enables
the Spirit to
have all of
the believer.
We are
offering ourselves
over and over
and over again to
the Spirit who
dwells in us
fully.
We're just
giving all of
ourselves to
Him over and
over and over
again.
Be filled by
the Spirit.
He is
perpetually
present.
The
paraclete
is
personally,
purposefully,
powerfully,
perpetually
present in
God's people to
point us to
the person of
Christ, the
Prince of
Peace.
Amen.
Here's what it
gets at.
The Christian
life, the
Christian walk,
walk in a
manner worthy
of the
calling to
which you've
been called,
is an
ongoing and
active dependence
upon the
empowering
presence of
the Holy
Spirit.
The Spirit
of God
actively
empowers
Christians to
live lives
that please
God.
So it begs
the question,
what do we
expect?
What should
we expect
from the
Spirit present
with us
ongoingly?
What does
that look
like?
How does
that play
out?
And in
verses 19,
20, and
21, we
see the
Spirit-filled
life of a
church.
When the
Spirit fills
a people of
God, it
has a
Christ-exalting
effect.
So we've
looked at
point one
with the
presence of
the Holy
Spirit.
We need
Him.
Two,
point to
the corporate
effects of
being filled
by the
Spirit.
Spirit
effects.
There's four
of them.
When the
Spirit fills
His people,
God's people
address one
another in a
certain way.
They speak to
each other in
a certain way.
Spirit effect
number two.
When the
Spirit of
God fills
His people,
God's people
sing and
make melody
in their
heart to
the Lord.
When the
Spirit of
God fills
His people,
effect number
three, God's
people give
thanks to
God all the
time for
everything.
When God's
Spirit fills
His people,
effect number
four, God's
people submit
to one another
out of reverence
for Christ.
Let's unpack
these a little
bit.
Hey, can I
just say this?
Being filled
by the
Spirit is
not some
kind of
carnival
sideshow of
bizarre
behavior.
It is
building the
church.
It's uniting
us together.
Do you know
how?
Do you know
what to look
for to know
that if the
Spirit is moving
in a church,
is Christ
being exalted?
God's
wanted to
be
wanted to
be
wanted to
be
so when the
Holy Spirit
fills us,
look at this
first effect.
We address one
another in a
certain way.
19a, the
first half of
19.
Addressing one
another in
psalms and hymns
and spiritual
songs.
Hey, when we're
filled by the
Spirit, we don't
trash talk each
other.
We don't
trash talk each
other.
We don't tear
each other down
with our
speech.
That actually,
Ephesians 4.30,
grieves the
Holy Spirit.
That's
counterproductive
to what the
Spirit is seeking
to do in us.
That's resisting
the Spirit.
What we do
do, though,
is we speak
words that
are intended
to build
up.
And notice
the content
of these
Spirit-filled
speakings.
Psalms, hymns,
spiritual psalms,
songs.
This is not
some kind of
apostolic
limitation saying
you can only
speak to each
other this way
when you're
filled by the
Spirit.
It's more like
examples.
Hey, expect
this.
Psalms, hymns,
spiritual songs,
Bible,
Scripture,
being spoken
to one another.
You need to
realize what
the Psalms,
hymns,
spiritual songs
have in common.
They're different
ways of
communicating truth
about God
to build
somebody up
for the
glory of
Christ.
That's what
they are.
That's what
they all have
in common.
They're building
up words.
They're truthful
words.
When the
Spirit of God
fills us,
we speak out
of an overflow
of the fullness
of God's
presence in
our heart,
and it ends
up building
people up.
It's edifying
speech.
Colossians is a
parallel book
to Ephesians.
Colossians 3.16
is very much
paralleled with
this passage
we're in right
now.
This is what
Paul says to
the Colossians.
He writes,
let the word of
Christ dwell in
you richly.
Let the word of
Christ dwell in
you richly.
Be filled with
the Spirit.
Let the word of
Christ dwell in
you richly.
When we're filled
by the Spirit,
we speak psalms,
hymns,
spiritual songs.
We speak Bible
to one another,
ultimately with the
aim to Jesus so
that we're built
up.
Isn't that good?
It's not rocket
science.
It's not
mysterious.
Where does it
all begin?
It begins in
private.
Morning after
morning, we
open our Bibles
and we call out
to God.
We say things
like, oh God,
meet me in your
word today.
You have your
Bible open.
I had my Bible
open this morning,
Psalm 61.
One.
Spirit of God,
impress these
words upon my
heart.
Make these
words, your
words, my
words, God.
Press them in
to me, God.
Make them real
to me, God.
I can't live
by food alone.
I need your
word, God.
God.
When individual
members of a
church
personally seek
God like this,
they open up
their Bibles in
their prayer
closets and
they cry out,
oh God,
impress your
word upon me.
You know what?
They are
positioning
themselves to
be used by
God later on
to address
others with a
timely word.
Did you notice
the addressing
one another?
The context of
all this stuff is
in a corporate
gathering.
The church
together,
we're to
address one
another with
these kinds of
words and the
intended effect is
to build up
the body.
This can play
out in a variety
of ways.
You're talking
with somebody
one-on-one.
I read this
great psalm.
I think it
might encourage
you.
During a family
devotion, one of
the ways that we
do our family
devotions is I
have my devotions
in the morning
and I call it
the king penguin
technique.
I read my
Bible and I'm
kind of digesting
this myself and
I gather around
our table and I
kind of puke up
a little kind of
processed Bible
meditation for my
kids.
It's very
nutritious, trust
me.
This happens
in small groups.
This happens on
ministry teams.
And it happens on
a Sunday morning.
Many of you were
here last week.
I'm not sure if you
realize what
happened.
A dear sister came
down to me.
By the way, I
talked to her this
morning and this is
okay to share with
you all.
Well, a dear sister
came down to me
during the service
and she very humbly
asked if she could
share a passage,
Revelation chapter
five, share it
with the church.
I was really
encouraged that she
would just take that
step of faith and
come down.
God had impressed
something on her
during our first
song together.
And her sense was
God wants me to
share this with the
church.
Now typically, just
to make you aware,
when a person
approaches me seeking
to share something on
a Sunday morning, I'm
exercising discernment.
I'm asking some
questions.
Do I know this
person?
Are they a believer?
Does their heart seem
right in this?
What do they want to
share?
Will it edify?
Is it timely?
Yes, yes, and yes,
and yes, and yes.
Our sister read
Revelation five.
And I don't remember
it.
Do you remember
that?
It was sweet.
It was edifying.
It was all about
Jesus.
And right in the
middle of Revelation
five is a spiritual
song.
About.
The lamb.
Brothers and
sisters.
Brothers, it
should be no
surprise to us that
the Holy Spirit, who's
actively present in
our midst, is seeking
to build us up this
way.
No surprise.
In fact, what I
would say is, we
want that.
We want that.
We want people to
share what God puts
on their hearts on
Sunday mornings using
this microphone right
here to build up his
people.
It's an active
ministry of the
Holy Spirit.
When one of us is
filled afresh by the
Spirit, they, through
the word, draw our
attention to Christ.
That's what happened
last week.
And it was sweet.
That's the first
effect.
The word of Christ
dwelling richly among
us.
Addressing one another
in Psalms, hymns, and
spiritual songs.
The second effect.
When we're filled by the
Spirit, when the Spirit
of God makes His
presence known in a
powerfully way, we
will sing and make
melody in our hearts
to the Lord, the Lord
being Jesus.
When we're filled by
the Spirit, we are
filled with the
fullness of God and
it will overflow into
a kind of singing.
Now, not everyone is
comfortable singing.
There can be reasons
for that.
I used to not like to
sing because my voice
is not the best voice.
my family will bear
testimony to that.
But Psalm 101 is what
I bank on.
Make a joyful noise
to the Lord.
There are other reasons
why people don't
necessarily feel
comfortable singing.
They didn't grow up
singing.
It's a foreign thing to
them.
It's like an
underdeveloped muscle.
But you know how you
strengthen a muscle?
You exercise it.
Brothers and sisters,
maybe you who are a
little reluctant to
sing, God made you
to sing.
He made you for it.
To sing His praises.
Lift up your voice.
And so when we do sing,
there's some things
that happen.
When we sing filled
by the Spirit,
it's a singing marked
by clarity of
understanding.
We're fully aware of
what we're singing.
We are singing glorious
and real truths back
to our great God.
And what also is true,
our singing is marked
by a fullness of
emotion.
not in emotionalism.
We're not singing in order
to have an emotional
experience.
That's not the goal.
The goal is to praise
God for who He is.
But it will be emotional.
It's okay to weep
while you sing.
Jesus is not embarrassed
by that.
It's okay to raise your
voice while we're singing
and say praise God.
Thank you Jesus.
We should be affected
by the truths
we are singing.
And it's classic
example of the Spirit
making things real
for us.
We can't help
but sing.
it's a singing
marked by fullness
of engagement.
Not just our emotions
but our bodies as well.
People lifting up
their hands.
Hey, if I'm willing
to lift up my hands
for the Ohio State
Buckeyes,
you better believe
I will lift up
my hands
for our glorious
God.
Let me read you
Psalm 63.
Just a little piece.
People have been
lifting up their hands
to the Lord
for a long time.
David,
O God,
you are my God.
Earnestly I seek you.
My soul thirsts for you.
My flesh faints for you
as in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
So I have looked upon you
in the sanctuary
beholding your power
and glory
because your love
is better than life.
My lips will praise you.
So I will bless you
as long as I live.
In your name
I will lift up
my hands.
When lips aren't enough
we lift up our hands.
It's an overflow.
It's a fullness of joy.
Fullness of recognition
of what God has done for us.
And we give it back to Him.
When there's a fresh feeling
by the Spirit
it's not unusual
to have a correspondence
fullness of volume
as well.
We're singing from our toes.
Because God is awesome.
What joy there is in that.
When the Spirit
moves upon His people
God's people
sing from their hearts.
The third effect.
When the Spirit fills us
we're going to give thanks
to God.
When God fills us
freshly by His Spirit
there is a fullness.
We become aware
of God's manifold goodness
to us.
We give thanks
all the time
and for everything
because we realize
that all good things
come from our God.
Did you notice
in verse 19
or is it verse 20?
20.
Giving thanks always
and for everything
to God the Father
in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Why is that there?
Here's what it means.
We give thanks to God
in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ
because we realize
everything
God is using everything
everything for our good.
Everything.
All the time.
Working for our good.
And when we realize that
and that's true
because we're in Christ
we give thanks
to God.
And if you're a Christian
you have always
got something
to be thankful for.
Let me put it this way.
No matter what time
during the day
no matter what circumstances
you're facing
where would you be
right then and there
without Jesus?
Where would you be?
I'm regularly reminded
of where I would be
and therefore
I regularly give thanks
for my wife
for my children
for this church
for my employment
for my health
for my friends
but most of all
what I give God
thanks for
is my salvation.
I was a wretch
and God made me
his treasure.
Do I have an amen?
Amen.
Here's the point.
The Spirit of God
stirs gratitude
in the hearts
of God's people
and gratitude
is given voice.
It's called
thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving
is the outworking
of grateful hearts
and it's a mark
of the Spirit
at work
in our midst.
Shows up in a variety
of ways.
We sing with grateful hearts.
We give thanks to God
together in prayer.
We give thanks to God
in informal conversations.
When the Spirit
fills His people
we're filled
with gratitude
for the goodness
of God
and so we give thanks
over and over
and over again.
The last effect.
Being filled
by the Spirit
leads to
submitting to one another
out of reverence
for Christ.
submitting to one another.
This word means
to voluntarily
set yourself
under others.
Did you note
the motive?
Out of reverence
for Christ.
I submit myself
to you
out of reverence
for Christ.
You submit yourself
to one another
out of reverence
for Christ.
At the heart
of this
is humility.
We consider
others
better
than ourselves.
Remember Paul
is addressing
a church here.
In the next passage
he's going to
actually work out
what submission
looks like
in marriage
and in parenting
and in the workplace.
But here he's talking
about in the church.
We submit to one another
out of reverence
for Christ.
Let me just give you
a picture of this.
If you want to
turn your Bibles
quickly to John 13
you'll remember this.
This is just before
Jesus
dies.
And during this supper
Jesus does
something that
his disciples
would never forget.
He took off
his outer robe
grab a towel
in a
wash basin
and he washed
his disciples'
feet.
Every one of them.
And then
at the end of that
he says this.
This is 13-12.
Do you understand
what I have done
to you?
You call me
teacher and Lord
and you are right
for so I am.
If I then
your Lord and teacher
have washed your feet
you also ought to
wash one another's feet.
For I have given you
an example that you
also should do
just as I have done
to you.
Truly, truly
I say to you
a servant
is no greater
than his master
nor is a messenger
greater than the one
who sent him.
If you know these things
blessed
are you
if you do them.
There is blessing
in submitting
to one another
out of reverence
for Christ.
It's the stuff
of unity.
unity.
It's the stuff
by which the Spirit
moves on a people
to preserve,
maintain the unity
of the Spirit
in the bond
of peace.
This is an outworking
of the Spirit's presence
in our life.
Let me close by this.
we've looked at
the presence
of the paraclete
ongoing presence
of the Holy Spirit
in our lives.
He wants to do
something in us.
He wants us
to have an effect.
He wants to do
something in our church
to build us up.
What all these
four effects
have in common
is it builds
up the body.
It unites us.
It strengthens us.
It aims us
at Jesus.
So here's how
I'd like to close.
I had some
diagnostic questions
but we're going
to skip them.
And we're just
going to go to this.
In Luke 11,
13,
Jesus says this.
Ask your Father
for the Holy Spirit.
If we who are evil
know how to give
good gifts,
how much more
will our Heavenly
Father give
the Holy Spirit
to those
who ask Him.
Would you join
with me
in asking our Father
to pour out
His Spirit
in greater and
greater measures
on our church
so that Christ
would be
exalted.
Let's turn
to that right now.
Let's pray.
прят
for the Holy Spirit
that Father