I would like you to turn in your Bibles this morning to Ephesians chapter 6, no, Ephesians chapter
! 5, and we are going to be looking at verse 18, the second part of the verse. Let me read it to you,
and then you join me as we pray together. But be filled with the Spirit.
Our Father, prayer for us is not a matter of habit
or the recitation of something that we have, in most cases, planned in advance.
But the absolute expression of our dependence and your sufficiency.
We're reminded, for one, of what John the Baptist said, that a man can have nothing except to be
given of him. And we recognize that you are the giver of every good and perfect gift.
We also recognize that it is your desire and your delight to give good things to your children.
And while there are many physical things that we might ask for, the thing that is most important
is the sweetness of your word and the work of your Spirit in our midst.
We want to be a people that leave here different than we were when we came.
And we realize that to have that take place will require that you do something that is beyond our ability.
And so, in keeping again with Scripture, we ask that you would open our eyes,
that we would behold wonderful truths out of your law,
that the Spirit of God that indwells every believer would enable us to hear
and inform us so that we might understand
and encourage and strengthen us that we might then take that word and apply it
for the glory of Christ.
And we pray it because of Him.
Amen.
I want to begin.
We're going to look at this passage in just a minute,
but I want to begin by having you think practically, realistically,
of really how hard it is to live the Christian life.
Here's the truth.
I see these bumper stickers.
By the way, if you ever see a bumper sticker on my car,
you will have assumed that somebody else put it there.
I see these bumper stickers.
Not perfect, just forgiven.
And there is an element of theological truth to that,
but I wonder if more often than not,
they are really a reflection of a carelessness towards what the Scripture teaches
about godly living.
Let me give you a couple frames to operate in
so you can kind of think about this with me a little bit.
Remember what Jesus said to His disciples,
unless your righteousness,
who can fill it out for me,
exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,
you shall in no wise enter into the kingdom.
I mean, that's a pretty hard pill to swallow.
Let's try another one so we have it in our mind.
I want you to turn in your Bible.
Keep your finger, because we're coming back to Ephesians,
but I want you to turn in your Bible to Romans 8, verse 1.
Romans 8, verse 1.
It says,
There is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus
from the law of sin and death.
For God has done what the law weakened by the flesh could not do
by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,
and He condemns sin in the flesh
in order that the righteous requirement of the law
might be fulfilled in us.
Now, what's the remainder of the text?
Look at it carefully.
Who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Do we earn our salvation by our walk?
The answer is categorically and undeniably no.
But are we as believers to walk in the light as He is in the light,
and is our life to be an example and a testament of the power of God at work in us?
What's the answer?
Let me tell you something.
One of the principal witnesses to the power of the gospel,
which for one thing promises us an eternity that we cannot see.
Would you agree with that?
We can't see eternity.
One of the things that bears strong testimony to the power of the gospel
is the power of the gospel to change people now from what they used to be
to what they can be and what they will someday be.
Would you agree with that?
And God intends for your life to be an evidence of the fact that God who can save
can also change you.
And I want you to understand that that's a pretty sobering thought.
I am supposed to be a walking example of a God who can make people different.
That's pretty challenging.
And you know, the truth of the matter is,
is we get around that challenge by just frankly not thinking about it.
By not paying much attention to it.
By not really thinking that it's all that realistic in expectation,
and yet the Scriptures over and over again talk about the fact
that the life of the believer is to be undeniably and radically different
than the life of the unbeliever.
My wife and I were engaged in conversation earlier this week,
and she made reference to one individual.
And just listening to the individual talk, she said,
you must be a believer.
Never met this person before.
He said, well, how did you know?
Well, there are little giveaways.
It wasn't that he was making the sign of the cross.
It was just generally a pleasing countenance and a happy spirit
and a thankful tone in his life.
And as the conversation progressed, it's like,
oh, there's something different about you.
I do want you to understand that as we think about the passage
that we're going to understand this morning,
we're going to study this morning,
it is a very, very significant passage
for understanding how the believer is to live.
And I think the thing that we need to understand
is that being spirit-filled is essential.
For apart from being spirit-filled,
we cannot live the way Christ intends.
Now, the remainder of the book of Ephesians
is going to, for the most part, deal with relationships.
We're going to receive instruction from God
on how we are to relate to one another
with a submissive and generous spirit.
We're going to find out how a wife is to follow her husband,
how a husband is to love his wife,
how children are to obey their parents,
and how employees are to relate
to those who are their employers.
It's fair to say that when we think about
what lies in front, and it's going to be primarily
focusing on the issue of relationships,
we would have to agree that relationships,
at the end of the day, are a pretty messy business.
Would you agree with me?
They are.
And the reason for that is because
it puts sinners in close proximity with each other,
and when they are in close proximity with each other,
there is a multiplier there of that proximity,
and the two sinful individuals are more.
And so I want you to understand this morning
that when we recognize that relationships
are challenging at best,
we need to understand that
God intends for us to succeed in those relationships
and to honor Christ in doing so,
and the only way that we will succeed
at accomplishing the things that He calls us to do
are to walk and be filled with the Spirit of God.
Now, with that in mind,
let me take some time to lay out some background information
that I think is actually important
in our understanding of the matter of being filled with the Spirit.
Let me begin, first of all,
by talking about what the Bible is not talking about.
The Bible uses a variety of terms
to refer to the relationship of the Spirit of God to the believer,
and we do well to distinguish them
and to recognize that each has a purpose
that in some aspects is distinct from the others.
The common characteristic in all
is that the Spirit is the one involved,
but we look at different statements
such as being baptized in the Spirit,
being indwelt with the Spirit,
being led by the Spirit,
walking by the Spirit,
being filled by the Spirit,
grieving the Spirit.
There are a number of different things
that are said in relationship to those things,
and we sometimes kind of just lump them all together
and think, well, it's about the Spirit,
and so there we are.
Let me explain, first of all,
that the indwelling and baptism of the Spirit
refers to what happens as a part of our salvation.
If you are saved here today,
if you know Christ,
you have the Spirit of God inside you.
I didn't say that.
Christ did.
And I want you to recognize
that this is a Bible truth
that is not dependent upon the way you feel
or even how you're acting.
Remember over in 1 Corinthians chapter 6
where the apostle says,
listen, he says,
you need to get this straight.
When you are involved in immorality,
you are dragging the Spirit of God
into that very relationship.
Do you think the Spirit would like to bail
when you look at pornography?
Yes.
But he doesn't.
He is in you.
He is there.
He stays there
because from the moment of your salvation,
you have the Spirit of God indwelling you.
Over in Romans chapter 8,
and I want you to look at that passage
just for a moment.
Romans chapter 8, verse 8.
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God,
but you, however, are not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit,
if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.
How do you distinguish
between an unsaved person and a saved person?
In this context,
it is the matter of the Spirit of God
indwelling that believer.
Look also, if you would, at verse 11.
If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead
dwells in you,
He who raised Jesus Christ from the dead
will also give life to your mortal bodies
through His Spirit who dwells in you.
So in other words, the enabling,
the way in which I live the spiritual life,
the way I live the Christian life
to bring glory to Christ
is not just by working on a set
of self-improvement rules,
but by trusting,
excuse me,
the indwelling Spirit to work
and do His work in me.
Go back, if you will,
to Ephesians chapter 4,
verse 4 and 5,
and we read there,
it says this,
it says,
there is one body and one Spirit
just as you were called
in one hope that belongs in your calling,
one Lord,
one faith,
one baptism.
So we understand that
the infilling and the baptism
of the Holy Spirit
refer to something
that takes place at our salvation.
Second,
the filling of the Spirit
and the walking in the Spirit
relate to His empower
and His controlling,
to His empowering
and His controlling,
and we'll deal a little bit more
with that as we work our way through,
but just in general terms,
identify the fact that
indwelling and baptism
are something that happens
at our conversion,
and the filling
and the walking of the Spirit
relate more to the matter
of His empowering us
and His controlling us.
I want you to understand,
furthermore,
that the filling of the Spirit
is not a second work of grace.
It's not something that takes place
after we've reached
a certain level of spirituality,
after we've prayed
to a certain state,
after we've come to a certain level
of earnestness,
that it then kind of happens
as a result of our ongoing pursuit.
And we see that undeniably
in the text that we're looking at right now.
Look back, if you would,
at Ephesians 5, verse 18,
and if we are...
And stop just for a minute
because I think this is important.
If we are going to allow
our opinions to be formed
by the Scriptures themselves,
then we have to take
the vocabulary seriously.
And what the Apostle says
there in verse 18,
it says,
but be filled with the Spirit.
And the way in which
that is put in the text,
it says,
keep being filled.
It's not like,
hey, get it poured in
and that's it.
It's like day by day,
moment by moment,
keep on working
at being filled
with the Spirit of God.
Third,
the filling of the Spirit
is not a reference
to extra-biblical behaviors
or the teachings of our day.
I was sick last week.
I was reduced to whispering
for the sake of
intelligible conversation.
And given that,
I had a low-grade fever
and several other things.
I decided,
you know,
I am going to stay at home.
It was not a fun thing to do
except for the privilege
I had of lying in bed
and praying
and knowing that God
was working in our fellowship
and that you were being taught
the Word of God.
You were enjoying
the Word of God.
You were singing.
By the way,
I knew the songs
that we had picked
that we were going to sing.
I really wanted to sing them.
I had to lie in bed
and just pray for you.
But I enjoyed that.
Then I got out of bed
and I thought,
well, you know,
hey,
I know what I'm going to be
preaching on next week
so I think I'll channel surf.
And so what I did
was I watched
a wide variety of...
Let me name them.
I watched
Serfalo Dollar.
I watched Joel Osteen.
I watched T.D. Jakes.
I watched Joyce Myers.
I watched Rod Parsley
and threw in a couple others.
And I watched them carefully.
I watched them listening
to see,
okay,
so what are the things
that they are saying?
I was surprised.
I was surprised
at the commonality.
What does that mean?
Pretty much,
they both said the same things.
They all said the same things.
Now,
before I address
the next set of points,
I want you to know
that I sincerely desire
my comments
to be governed by two things.
that what I say
is clearly
from the Scriptures.
And secondly,
that what I say
is gentle
and not sarcastic
of those
that have been led
astray
by spiritual
charlatans.
I have dear friends
that I have known
over the years
that are of slightly
different persuasions
and I do not want
my observations
to be anything
but winsome
and textual.
So,
let me say this
in relationship
to the matter
of what we're going
to talk about now
when we say
that being filled
with the Spirit
is not a reference
to extra-biblical behaviors
or the teachings
of our day.
We understand
that being filled
with the Spirit
is not evidenced
by the charismatic
gifts in the book
of Acts.
Being filled
with the Spirit
is not evidenced
by the charismatic
gifts referenced
in the book
of Acts,
such as tongues,
prophecies,
and healings.
I have no doubt
and I wholeheartedly
affirm that what
took place
in the book
of Acts
indeed was
the dramatic
demonstration
of the power
of the Spirit
of God,
but what we see
happening today
has no bearing
or credible
relationship
to what we see
happen back
during that time.
Let me give you
a little comparison.
The purpose
of a miracle
or a demonstration
of divine power
ultimately
is to confirm
the message
and the messenger.
Does that make sense
to you?
Nod your head
if that's just
intuitively obvious.
Yeah,
it makes sense.
Here's Moses,
stomps out of the wilderness,
you know,
and by the way,
how did God
get Moses' attention?
Try a little burning bush.
Now,
was that a little miraculous?
It got Moses' attention.
It made Moses listen.
And God said to Moses,
you're going to be
my spokesperson.
Yeah,
well,
yeah,
they're not going
to listen to me.
Oh,
what do you have
in your hand?
What was it?
A rod.
Throw it down.
What happened?
Snake.
And remember,
one miracle after another,
he finally got back
in front of Pharaoh
and the Pharaoh's magicians,
and he says,
God says,
let my people go.
Yeah.
We're going to get rid
of our labor force.
Can you walk,
imagine you walking
into upper management
and says,
hey,
turn them loose.
Moses?
Yeah.
Who said?
Threw down the rod
and it became a snake
and what did the magicians do?
They were able to fake
a couple of these things,
remember?
But finally,
as Moses upped the ante,
what did they say?
I love this.
This is the finger of God.
This is something God did.
A miracle ultimately points
to the miraculous,
to God.
And so,
the things that took place
in the book of Acts,
undeniably,
were miraculous demonstrations
of the power of God.
In the three areas,
in the matter of tongues,
in the matter of prophecies,
in the matter of healings,
let me explain that tongues,
the ones that were spoken of
in Acts chapter 2,
were understandable languages.
I listened to one particular person
last Sunday,
babbling,
babbling.
And I can tell you
that he was not speaking in tongues
according to the New Testament passage
because the text makes it clear
that the tongues
were a demonstration of divine power,
namely in that people understood
the dialect
miraculously.
Interestingly,
interestingly,
and just a little side note on this,
back in the early 1900s,
I think it was 1904,
1912,
something like that,
there was the resurgence
of the tongues movement
actually came into being.
And the proponents
of speaking in tongues
as an evidence
of the power
of the Spirit of God
proposed initially
that these languages
were actually
foreign dialects
in context
of the passage
and over in Acts chapter 2,
etc.
And as a result,
the first missionary
sent out
by the charismatics
did not need
language training
at all.
Do you got that?
That is an intelligent
conclusion
if your supposition
is that
the gift
was the ability
to communicate
in foreign dialects.
Does that make sense?
Yesterday,
I walked into Speedway.
The man there
that was working
at the counter,
his name was Gopal.
Now, for some of you,
it's like, so?
And I walked up
to Gopal
and I said,
Apni Kaminach
and I asked him,
I said,
how are you doing?
I said it in Bengali
and he looked at me like,
I said,
Apkassahe.
Now,
Bengali and Hindi
are very close.
I mean,
big deal to me.
But he looked at me
and he said,
where did you learn this?
Oh, I grew up in India.
Really?
See,
I can speak
three different dialects
because I grew up
in a community
and it would be a miracle
for me to speak Japanese.
Do you understand that, Tom?
If I started speaking
in Japanese,
other than Konnichiwa
or whatever,
you know,
I've learned that from Tom
and he's probably,
thank you,
thank you.
I am infinitely better
than last week
but
don't want to put it over
where the Kleenex are.
So,
let me explain
being filled with the Spirit
is not talking about
the miraculous power
that we see at Acts.
Recognize that the tongues
were foreign dialects.
Secondly,
we recognize
that the prophecies
that took place
were backed up
by 100% accuracy.
Beloved,
this is not small potatoes.
I cannot understand
why well-informed people
who care about the truth
allow the chicanery
and the deceit
to go on
where there are all these
kind of prophetic utterances
that have no connection
with Scripture.
And by the way,
I want you to understand
that in the Old Testament
when someone said
that there was going to be
something that happened
and it didn't happen,
there was a short shelf life
for that person.
Do you know why?
They were stoned.
We have about four or five.
I'm not proposing
and some of you
are going to go out
and say he said that
but I didn't.
I'm not proposing
that we have stonings
but I can guarantee you
that it would really clean up
a lot of these
fake faux prophecies
if what we had
is God deal with
a couple of them.
Third,
the healings
that took place
in the New Testament
were immediate
and complete
and without contingencies.
They were complete,
they were immediate
and they were without contingencies.
I have been reading
through the book of John
and one of the things
that I was reading
this morning
is when John healed
the man who'd been born blind,
he didn't ask the guy
if he was a believer.
By the way,
when he healed the man
at the pool of Bethesda,
remember?
The guy,
Jesus says,
what are you doing here?
This is a free rendition.
What are you doing?
Well, I'm here
to try to get healed.
Oh yeah?
But I can't get down
to the pool.
Jesus said,
take up your bed and walk.
And what happened?
Bada, bada, bing.
Bada, bada, boom.
Up he goes,
grabs his bed,
starts walking
and the Pharisees say,
whoa,
don't you know?
It's the Sabbath.
He says,
you know,
I understand that
but the guy who healed me,
he said do it.
God has the right
to tell me what to do.
By the way,
he's the one who healed me.
And when we find the deceit,
I tell you,
when God heals,
it's immediate
and it's complete.
And what do I mean
by no contingencies?
Do you know
what a contingency is?
The large print addeth
and the small print
taketh away.
And as I listened
to all of the
aforementioned speakers,
I noticed
one common word.
Do you know
what it was?
Seed faith.
Now,
by the way,
I'll warn you
that somewhere
in the next month
or so,
I will do
what I have done
for,
Lord willing,
will be 27 years
and that is
preach on,
hey,
we're getting there.
And you will not
hear me talk about
seed faith.
Sadly,
in an attempt
to be humble
and generous,
far too many
loving believers
have been hesitant
to demand
that all doctrine
be intelligently
judged by Scriptures.
And this lack
of commitment
to the sufficiency
and the supremacy
of Scripture
has unleashed
a torrent
of aberrant
doctrines
such as the
prosperity
teaching
of our day.
And all of that
has nothing
at all
to do
with the filling
of the Spirit.
So,
what does it mean
to be filled
with the Spirit?
Let's begin
by recognizing,
first of all,
that the text
gives us
an explicit command
and what it means
is that being
Spirit-filled
is not something
that happens
passively.
It's not something
that's just an
arbitrary whim
on the part of God.
The idea
that the Spirit
falls on certain
individuals
who have then
been slain
by the Spirit,
knocked flat,
has no biblical
merit.
In the simplest
terms,
being filled
means choosing
to be affected
and empowered
by the indwelling
Spirit of God.
And I say this
because the text
gives us
an explicit
command
that I
that you
are to choose
to be filled.
I love what
one Bible teacher
has to say on this.
He says this,
it is one thing
for you to have
the Holy Spirit
within you.
Does every believer
have the Holy Spirit
within you?
And what's the answer?
We just learn
absolutely.
It's one thing
to have the Holy Spirit
within you.
It's another thing
to have
the Spirit
have you.
the way
John Bunyan
put it.
You remember
John Bunyan
who wrote what?
What book?
Hey, good job.
By the way,
should that be a book
that you read?
That's a good book
to read.
Here's what
John Bunyan
said that I really
liked.
Sailors cannot
create the wind
but they can
raise the sail
that pushes
the boat.
That's nice,
isn't it?
Sailors cannot
create the wind
but they can
raise the sail
that pushes
the boat.
I want you
to understand
furthermore
that the Holy Spirit
is not an abstract
force
but is the third
person of the Trinity
and He is in
every believer.
Yet the believer
is called to choose
to allow the
indwelling Spirit
to instruct,
to illuminate,
to empower,
to control.
It may be helping
our understanding
here to go back
just for a moment
to the comparison
Paul started out
with there in
verse 18,
the first part
and you remember
that's where I
actually started
several weeks ago
when I said
don't be drunk
with wine
for that is
debauchery.
Paul was making
a comparison
between choosing
to be drunk.
Do men have to
choose to be drunk?
Essentially,
yes,
the answer is
they do
because you
have to keep
on doing it
until it has
an effect
and He says
don't make
that choice.
What you have
to choose
by comparison
is to allow
the Spirit
of God
to be the one
who is influencing
your life
rather than
something else.
Let me say
something else
that I want you
to understand.
This is important.
Being filled
with the Spirit
is God's plan
for normal
Christian living.
I don't think
we believe that.
Being filled
with the Spirit
is God's plan
for normal
Christian living.
Question.
Can people
always tell
if you're filled
with the Spirit?
And what's
the answer?
By the way,
next week
I'm going
to preach
on singing.
And I have
asked John,
we're going
to sing
our favorites
and we are
going to blow
the roof
off of here.
We haven't
decided yet,
have we,
John?
Okay,
but I'm hoping
I'm voting
for Lion of Judah
for one,
you know,
with horns.
We're thinking
about that,
okay?
And then
10,000 reasons,
these are others
that I'm voting
for,
I want you
to know.
I don't always
get my way,
in fact,
there's a rumor
that seldom
do I get my way.
But anyway,
these are ones
I'm voting
for,
and here's
what I want.
I want us
to come,
next week I
want us
to come
filled with
the Spirit
ready to
blow the roof
off.
Hmm?
Can you
always tell
if a person
is Spirit
filled?
No.
But you
can always
tell when
they're not.
Right?
Huh?
Right?
What's not
filled look
like?
For Tim
Kenoyer,
it's grumpy,
it's pouty,
it's moody,
it's surly,
it's sarcastic,
it's unwilling.
Am I striking
any of you
that you,
yeah,
I can recognize
that.
I could ask
my wife to
fill out the
remainder of
the list.
Yeah,
she knows.
She doesn't
know all the
time when
I'm filled
with the
Spirit,
but she
does know
when I'm
not.
I do want
you to
understand,
coming back
again,
being filled
with the
Spirit is
God's plan
for normal
Christian
living.
I had
to think
back again
to last
week,
and I
remember
one
televangelist
actually
dramatizing
what it
was like
to be
filled
with the
Spirit,
and he
was
twitching,
and he
was
demonstrating
a variety
of behaviors
and sounds,
and here's
what I
was trying
to do.
Honestly,
what I
was trying
to do
was reference
what was
going on
on his
behavior
on TV
with everything
I know
in the
scriptures.
I wanted
to be fair
and say,
okay,
where in the
Bible does
that kind
of behavior
seem to
fit in?
Not there.
So,
let me
clearly declare
what the
Bible says
about being
filled with
the Spirit.
Being filled
with the
Spirit means
being sensitive
to his
person and
his presence.
Being sensitive
to his
person and
his presence.
Influenced
by the fact
that you
know he's
in you
and he's
there.
Turn in
your Bible,
if you will,
to John
chapter 16
verse 7.
John
chapter 16
verse 7,
Jesus says
this,
nevertheless I
tell you the
truth,
it's to your
advantage that
I go away,
for if I do
not go away,
the helper
will not
come to you,
but if I
go, I will
send him
to you,
the person
of the
Holy Spirit.
And Jesus
says,
listen,
I'm leaving
and when he
said that,
I want you
to imagine
that here
are the
disciples in
the third
year of
their being
around Jesus.
And remember
over in
John chapter
6 when
Jesus had
finished his
absolutely
drop-dead
sermon and
most everybody
else had
scampered and
he looked to
his disciples
and he said,
are you guys
going too?
And what did
Peter say?
He said,
where are we
going to go?
Who else
has the words
of life?
They recognized
the supremacy
and the sweetness
of Christ and
they said,
you're the one.
And to that
listening group
of men,
he says,
hey,
listen,
it's a good
thing that I
leave you
because when
I leave,
you are going
to get
the helper.
He'll be
with you.
The person.
Let me tell you
something.
I remember
reading earlier
this week,
I think it was
David Powelson
was talking
about counseling
ministry.
I said,
there are often
days where he
looks at his
caseload and
responsibilities he
has in ministering
to the hearts of
people and he
knows the
brokenness and the
heartache and the
difficulty they're
facing and he
finds himself going
into that situation
and as he ponders
the weight of the
moment, he finds
himself not normally
thinking, I can't
do this.
And then he
prays and said,
God, you have
to help me.
And he then
reminds himself
that it's not by
might nor by
power but by my
spirit, saith the
Lord.
To be filled
with the spirit,
for one thing,
means that we are
sensitive to his
person and his
presence.
We show our
regard for his
presence incidentally
by not grieving
him with
disobedience or
quenching him by
refusing his
control.
We show our
regard for his
presence, you're
here, by not
grieving him with
disobedience or
quenching him by
refusing his
control.
I used this
illustration earlier
when I was
teaching Sunday
school but it's a
good illustration
unfortunately.
I was watching
the football game
Saturday and I
had a moment
where my
carnality absolutely
topped out the
chart.
There was a
little kickback
runback that
then kind of
devolved into a
fracas and you
know there were
punches being
thrown and blah
blah blah.
And I, of
course, I
confess that after
27 years I've
finally become an
actual true to
life Buckeye fan.
I don't wear the
hat and things like
that.
I don't flag but I
am a little bit of a
Buckeye fan and so
when the fight was
over I thought
righteousness would
probably be served if
there were four or
five of the Michigan
players that were
rejected.
So I'm waiting
patiently for
judgment to fall
from high, you know.
and then I thought of
the worst case scenario,
you know, maybe a
couple of the chumps
would be kicked off
and here's what
happened.
It was a two for one
deal and I thought
this is where my
flesh got the best
of me.
I was sitting there
in my living room and
I was actually angry.
I was very angry.
I was even having
momentary murderous
thoughts.
I mean, I was just
like, oh, yeah.
People's cars are
going to be keyed when
they come down.
I'm sorry.
This is wickedness
and I'm not proud of
it but I'm telling you
the truth.
And the Spirit of
God tapped me on the
shoulder and said,
Tim, what are you
doing?
The Spirit of God
brought back verses
to my mind.
You follow that?
The wrath of man
doesn't work the
righteousness of God.
Ooh.
And then the real
kicker was where
Jesus, remember where
he says, my kingdom
is not of this world
because if this was my
kingdom, my servants
would be fighting and
I thought, you know
what, my anger has
nothing to do with
eternity.
I was there humble.
Lord, forgive me for
that.
We show that we know
he's present when we
don't grieve him with
disobedience and we
don't quench him by
refusing his counsel.
Secondly, being filled
with the Spirit means
consciously and
deliberately being
dependent upon his
enabling and his power.
I need him.
Look over at John
chapter 15 verse 5.
It says, I am the vine,
you are the branches,
whoever abides in me
and I in him, he it is
that bears much fruit.
For apart from me,
what?
You can do nothing.
I am not the most
profound mechanic.
I'll be the first to
tell you that.
But I have figured out
that cars need keys.
In fact, apart from the
key, the car is just a
stationary object.
Isn't that right?
And one of the things
that shows my absolute
confidence in that
reality is generally
when I get out of my
car, being the little
lame brain that I am,
I always check two or
three times to see where
the keys are.
How many of you do
that?
Okay.
There's a reason for
that.
You see, I have
AAA and they think I
have them on speed
dial and that's not
true at all.
By the way, we have
premier service.
There's a reason for
that too.
That's my wife.
I care about her.
But here's the deal.
I know that keys and
cars are pretty important.
And when I am filled with
the Spirit, I am conscious
and aware that apart from
Him, I can do nothing.
Try to live the Christian
life apart from the power of
the Spirit of God and it is
a recipe for frustration,
discouragement, and
fruitlessness.
By Him and through Him, we
have been called to be
lights in dark corners.
sinners.
It's not our nature to be
humble or thankful, but it's
the work of the Spirit of God
to make us that way, isn't
it?
And so, all you have to do is
listen to the broken world
around you and realize that you
can either choose to live that
way or you can consciously
choose to let the Spirit of God
enable you.
Third, being filled with the
Spirit means choosing to yield to
His scriptural promptings.
John chapter 16, verse 13 through
14.
John chapter 16, verse 13 through
14.
When the Spirit of truth comes,
He will guide you into all truth,
for He will not speak on His own
authority, but whatever He hears,
He will speak, and He will
declare to you the things that
are to come.
He will glorify me, for He will
take what is mine and declare it
to you.
The Spirit works to bring back the
Word of God to our thinking so
that we may know what to do and
what to think so that Christ is
honored.
The Spirit of God is the search
engine to help you handle the Word of
God that you bury in your heart so
that He can call it to mind at every
moment when you need His help.
Beloved, if I am repetitious in my
desire for you to be a people that
think the Scriptures, it is because
the Spirit will use what's there.
And if you don't have it packed away,
He's not going to sprinkle it in
magically.
Being led by the Spirit is choosing
to walk in the path of His Word.
Look at Galatians chapter 5 verse 16.
I love this text.
Galatians chapter, by the way, there
are a lot of passages I love just in
case you're wondering, but Galatians
chapter 5, this is one that you probably
should memorize.
Galatians chapter 5 verse 16 and 17.
But I say, walk by the Spirit and you
will not gratify the desires of the
flesh.
Leave it at that.
Galatians chapter 5 verse 16.
Walk by the Spirit and you will not
gratify what?
How many of you, in retrospect, find
yourself pretty disappointed, pretty
discouraged, pretty turned off by the
outcome of the desires of the flesh,
right?
Every one of us say, yeah.
So how do you deal with that?
Walk by the Spirit.
And what does it mean to walk by the
Spirit?
It means choosing to walk in the path of
His Word and allowing what He has to
say to make a difference in your life.
So only come full circle.
I'm going to make the assumption that
the vast majority of you people here
today know Christ as your personal
Savior.
The God who has ordained your salvation
and works so miraculously to deliver you
from the pit intends for you to be a
person who consciously and deliberately
chooses to remember that He's present and
in you.
A person who chooses to rely upon His power to
do what you cannot do by your own and chooses
to yield to His scriptural promptings and
chooses to walk in the path of His Word.
I am not one for a lot of emotional deciding.
But I am one who believes that the purpose of
preaching is to put people on the spot of saying
what?
Yes or no to God.
God says walk by the Spirit.
And so what you have to ask yourself the question is
does that characterize my life?
And it wouldn't be a bad thing as you're driving
home to turn to your husband and turn to your wife and
say hey what do you think about how I'm doing it being
Spirit filled?
And everybody smiles so we can come to the point
here.
If you're a little uncomfortable with doing that then
probably a wise thing to do would be right now to say
alright Lord I hear what you have to say and I take you
seriously and I will consciously and deliberately choose
you being my helper to desire to do everything necessary to
be filled with the Spirit.
Let's close in prayer.
Oh Lord.