"Holy Spirit: The Difference Maker"
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
Before we get into our passage today, I want to set the stage of what we will be talking about, by backtracking a few verses to set some context for us.
Take a look at Ephesians 5:15-17 with me for a moment. It's the set up for the focal point of our passage today. Read: Eph 5:15-17
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Folks, you can shy away from this if you want but the the truth seems preset clear, our culture is pulling us away further and further from what is right and good, what is holy and righteous.
Our culture is reaffirming this through on a daily basis. Through every possible median the culture is defining you and the ways that you should go.
Paul is saying here, and it applies today as much as it did in his time, the days are evil. I will be honest, my heart is breaking right now.
The current tide in our culture is not quietly, but violently, leading us further and further away from a living God.
So when Paul said those things in our passage the last time we were together, he was setting the stage for something to look different. The picture that he set for us the last time.
There is a path that is laid before us that leads to life and joy and meaning and depth, human flourishing is the way we have been talking about it in this series.
Then there is another path we can take, and this path is louder, and there are more lights, and there is more skin, and there is more glamour.
This path leads to brokenness, despair, emptiness, and shallow trivialities. So he ends our last time together by telling us to not be foolish, but to pay attention.
“17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Let’s not detach that sentence from what we’ve already read. The days are evil.
Let’s watch our lives. Let’s not walk in a lack of wisdom. Then he goes on to say, “Don’t be a fool, but learn, fight, know what the will of God is.”
So then we come to our passage today. Read: Eph 5:18
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
Another word for debauchery here could be indulgence.
Simply this, it’s not about if you are drinking, but getting drunk, or any consistent sin, is going to stifle what God is going to do in you if your indulging more in the world than Him or His Spirit.
Being drunk is going to lead to other sin because you can lose control. In contrast the HS give us and makes us self controlled. There is a deep sense of joy that comes with the HS.
Again the focus that Paul is making is not focused on what not to do, but more of what to do. Do be filled with the HS and anything that stands in the way of that, remove it.
Why would he be so focused on being filled with the HS? Well the graces and mercies that come from being filled with the HS are undeniably needed and good for the body of Christ.
Paul makes a command here. Be filled with the Spirit. This does not refer to a deeper life or a higher life, but the normal Christian life. This is to be our norm!
Paul desires for the entire congregation to be filled with the HS so that worship and mutual edification and service take place.
While the Holy Spirit indwells believers forever (we are “sealed”), we need constant filling. Why? Because no one lives a life of constant joy and thanksgiving and love.
We need the HS and the three graces that HS offers our lives. So as we dig in further this morning, let’s ask God to help us as we discover these three graces mentioned.
The first grace that can manifest in the believer through the Spirit of God is ...
1. Singing (19)
1. Singing (19)
By nature, we are a singing people. At the very least, most of us our driven by music in some way or another.
Throughout all of scripture we not only see people who talk about the goodness of God, but also here of song after song sung about Him.
Paul says one of the graces of the HS in our lives is this. We will be … Read: Eph 5:19
19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,
Paul is simply saying that when the HS grabs a hold of our lives, a natural byproduct is that we will be spontaneous praise from our heart or even in our heart.
Is he saying that in Christ, life turns into a musical? No, or at least I hope not, right? We do not want High School Musical in here. We would like to use words without melody. Right?
No, he’s not saying that filled with the Holy Spirit, we now burst into song. He is talking about the dynamic interplay of faith in those who have put our faith in Jesus Christ when we gather.
We, having been moved upon by the grace and mercy of God found in Jesus Christ, should have a gladness of heart in being together.
There is a celebration that occurs when we come in weary and worn from the world around us as we have leaned into the Holy Spirit to walk in obedience.
We come in busted and weary, and we come together and just rest for a bit together. We celebrate the Lord together a bit because he saw us yet another week forward.
Remember this: When we gather for corporate worship and to sing to God, we are also ministering to one another.
Did you know that you have a responsibility in corporate worship? You encourage each other through singing.
How is this done? Paul says, “From your heart.” I am glad Paul says to make melody with our hearts, not our voices! Does your heart sing?
Those who are filled with the Spirit sing to Jesus because there is no one more worthy of adoration. Songs are not just something that we do with our voice, but a way of living.
Let your heart sing to the Lord and then out of that song, let it carry through in all of your relationships.
If your heart is not making adoration to Him then it will affect all other relationships that you are invested in.
Illus: When I don't take the time to praise Him, it affects my reactions. Where and when can you praise Him? Anywhere at any time! Worship the rest of the way home yesterday.
The second grace that can manifest in the believer through the Spirit of God is ...
2. Thanksgiving (20)
2. Thanksgiving (20)
Now in our culture we take a word like thanksgiving and try to associate it with a day. One day of year that we come together, gorge ourselves, and say some sort of thanks to God.
This is not what Paul is talking about here. He says being filled with the spirit will allow you to be in a place where you are … Read: Eph 5:20
20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
While Paul may have had in mind worship here as well, the fact that we want to glean from this is that all of us are called to give thanks to God, and it is an essential part of our daily lives.
Just in this service alone, we do it in many ways, and probably most prominently it is done in Communion.
But here is the question that we should ponder most when dealing with thanksgiving.
Are you known for ongoing thanksgiving or for complaining, murmuring, and pouting?
Spirit-filled believers are thankful people, not complaining people.
When we consider what God has done for us in the previous chapters of Ephesians, how could we not live with constant gratitude for His amazing grace?
The easiest answer that I have for that is, we stall in our thanksgiving when we are not spending our time more with Him.
Think of the things that are stopping you from being with Him more and more. This is why Paul mentioned the being drunk on wine. This was a major vice of that area.
It was taking a hold of, and he was telling them, you're missing what the work of God can do in you through His spirit. Stop doing those things that are stopping you! They are in the way!
Illus: Challenge to step away from social media for 10 days.
The third grace that can manifest in the believer through the Spirit of God is ...
3. Submission (21)
3. Submission (21)
This is not a positive word in our society. For many, it is a word that makes people feel weak or inferior and yet Paul points out submission is a good grace that can come from the HS. Read: Eph 5:21
21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
The next section that we will be diving into will lay more foundation with this word submission. It will carry through the rest of the book actually.
Here Paul points out that we should submit to one another in the church. What does this mean?
When we are in a community of believers like this the Spirit will lead us into practical acts of love.
We will not incorporate those acts of love into this body if we carry on arrogantly and brashly with one another.
The word submit means “to arrange under.” It was used in the military to refer to the subordination of soldiers in an army to those of a superior rank (O’Brien, Ephesians, 399).
Good soldiers surrender control. They turn loose of their selfish agendas and live in submission and for the good of others. So, it is with the Christian.
Christians submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. We should be in a place where we submit to others because Christ is the ultimate authority over our lives.
This does not mean believers live in terror of Christ. It means we are to stand in awe of Christ, who is the King and Judge.
Believers stand in awe not only of His holiness but also of His forgiveness.
We belong to Christ’s kingdom. He is the King. Out of reverence for Him, we gladly submit to His rule and serve others with compassion.
This section sets us up for the finishing out of this book. Next week we will be going all in on husbands and wives.
As we finish this book over the next month, might we fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
Might we hold fast to the Word of God as the inherent words of God himself, ordering and leading us into the fullest possible life.
Might we take biblical manhood and womanhood seriously. Might we elevate it, celebrate it, rejoice in it. Might we be a community of faith that is visibly and tangibly for one another.
In our interactions as husbands and wives, as male and female, single or taken, might we be a bright gospel light in a culture that is growing increasingly dark concerning all these things. May God be our help.
As we prepare to pray, I want you to contemplate this morning. Is there anything that is dividing you up from the King and His Spirit?
Look, I know we are busy people, but I’m talking about recognizing what is stealing the HS from working in you and still continuing to do those things anyway.
For others, it may be this. You had not even considered this before. maybe you’re at a place that you need to simply dive in. No matter where you are, will you please make a move?