SERIES: EPHESIANS: THE CALL AND CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH, WEEK 42

TITLE: THE ULTIMATE IMPERATIVE

TEXT: EPHESIANS 5:18

INTRODUCTION: (1) TODAY WE COME TO ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TEXTS IN THE ENTIRE BIBLE IN HOW TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, HOW TO WALK THE WORTHY WALK.

* IN FACT, THE 2’D COMMAND GIVEN IN EPHESIANS 5:18 IS A CRUCIAL COMMAND AND ENABLES US TO LIVE SUPERNATURALLY, TO LIVE OUT ALL THE IMPERATIVES THAT WE’VE STUDIED UP TO THIS POINT.

** NOW THE COMMAND I’M TALKING ABOUT IS TO BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.

*** FOR THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE KEY, THE MEANS, THE FUEL TO LIVE IN A WAY THAT PLEASES OUR GREAT GOD.

**** LET ME ILLUSTRATE BY USING THE ANALOGY OF A HIGH PERFORMANCE CAR IN LOOKING AT THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS.

(2) IN CHAPTER 1:1 THROUGH 3:13, PAUL GIVES US A WONDERFUL DESCRIPTION OF OUR INHERITANCE AND POSITION IN CHRIST.

* PAUL ALSO DESCRIBES FOR US THE POWER THAT WE HAVE – GOD’S RESURRECTION POWER. IN THIS ANALOGY WE CAN CALL THIS PART OF EPHESIANS THE ENGINE, THE POWER PLANT, THE MOTOR OF OUR HIGH PERFORMANCE CAR.

** MOVING ON TO CHAPTER 2:14 TO 3:21, PAUL DESCRIBES THE IGNITION SWITCH OF THIS CAR.

*** AND AS WE STUDIED IN THIS SECTION, IT DOESN’T DO ANY GOOD TO HAVE A HIGH PERFORMANCE ENGINE IF YOU DON’T TURN IT ON AND THE KEY TO TURNING ON THE IGNITION IS TO BE EMPOWERED BY THE FULLNESS OF GOD, V. 19 (READ IT).

**** SO WE MUST TURN ON THE IGNITION SWITCH WITH THE KEY IF WE ARE GOING TO TURN ON SPIRITUAL POWER.

(3) NOW NEXT IN OUR ILLUSTRATION WE MOVE TO THE ROAD MAP. THE ENGINE IS RUNNING BUT WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE TO GO.

* AND CHAPTER 4:1 THROUGH CHAPTER 6 VERSE 9 TELLS US THE ROUTE WE’RE TO DRIVE, HOW WE’RE TO WALK, HOW WE THEN SHOULD LIVE.

** PAUL TELLS US THAT WE ARE TO BE ON A PATH THAT IS CONSISTENT OF OUR CALLING – THE WORTHY WALK.

*** AND THE ROAD WE’RE TO TRAVEL IS UNIQUE INVOLVING HUMILITY, UNITY, LOVE, LIGHT AND WISDOM.

**** NOW THERE ARE ROADBLOCKS ALONG THE WAY ON THE PATH, THE ROAD THAT WE ARE TRAVELING ON.

(4) AND THAT’S WHY IN EPHESIANS 6:10-24, PAUL COMMUNICATES THE FACT THAT SINCE WE’RE GOING TO RUN INTO SATAN, WE HAVE TO PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD AND WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO PRAY ALWAYS, READ EPHESIANS 6:10, 11 & 18.

* NOW PUTTING ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD AND PRAYING ENABLES US TO DRIVE OUR HIGH POWERED CAR ON THE PATH WE HAVE TO GO WITHOUT GETTING INTO A WRECK AND OVERCOMING ALL THE ROADBLOCKS WE FACE.

** YET THERE IS SOMETHING VITAL THAT WE HAVE LEFT OUT THAT MAKES OUR HIGH POWERED CAR WORK. WHAT IS IT?

*** WELL, THE ANSWER IS FUEL. YOU HAVE TO PUT SOMETHING INTO THE TANK TO MAKE THE VEHICLE GO AND THAT’S WHERE THE FILLING OF THE SPIRIT COMES IN.

**** FOR THE FILLING OF THE SPIRIT IS THE BELIEVER’S GASOLINE, THE FUEL. THIS IS WHAT MAKES OUR CAR GO.

(5) AND IT WOULDN’T DO A BIT OF GOOD TO HAVE EVERYTHING ELSE RIGHT IF YOU DON’T PUT IN ANY GAS. THIS IS THE ENERGY, THE POWER TO LIVE OUT THE WORTHY WALK.

* AND UNLESS WE ARE ENERGIZED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, WE CAN NEVER WALK IN HUMILITY, UNITY, UNIQUENESS, LOVE, LIGHT AND WISDOM.

** IN OTHER WORDS, WITHOUT THIS 2’D IMPERATIVE IN EPHESIANS 5:18 WE WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO OBEY ANY OF THE OTHER COMMANDS OR IMPERATIVES TO LIVE , TO WALK THE WAY WE ARE TO WALK.

*** IN LIGHT OF THAT, I’VE TITLED OUR MESSAGE TODAY, THE ULTIMATE IMPERATIVE.

**** AND IN OUR TEXT TODAY WE SEE TWO IMPERATIVES, A NEGATIVE COMMAND AND A POSITIVE.

(6) THE NEGATIVE COMMAND TO NOT BE DRUNK WITH WINE AND THE POSITIVE COMMAND TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, WHAT A CONTRAST OF COMMANDS.

* GORDON CALLS THIS POSITIVE IMPERATIVE TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, “THE KEY TO ALL OTHERS AND IS THE ULTIMATE IMPERATIVE IN THE PAULINE CORPUS.”

** AND THUS OUR TITLE FOR TODAY.

*** NOW UNDER THIS TITLE WE’LL LOOK AT TWO THINGS IN EPHESIANS 5:18. NO. 1 THE COMMAND TO NOT GET DRUNK IN V. 18A AND NO. 2 THE CONTRAST TO THIS COMMAND, THE COMMAND TO BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, V. 18B.

**** AND WITH THOSE TWO POINTS IN MIND, LET’S LOOK AT OUR FIRST ONE, THE COMMAND, LOOK AT EPHESIANS 5:18A PLEASE.

I. THE COMMAND, (READ V. 18A)

A. NOW BEFORE PAUL COMMANDS US TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, AND GIVES THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SPIRIT FILLED LIFE THAT FOLLOWS, HE FIRST GIVES A CLEAR NEGATIVE COMMAND.

* AND THAT COMMAND IS DO NOT GET DRUNK WITH WINE.

** FOR YOU SEE GETTING DRUNK WITH WINE NOT ONLY IS A HINDRANCE TO, BUT A COUNTERFEIT OF, BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.

*** FOR CONTROL IS THE ISSUE. WILL YOU BE UNDER THE CONTROL OF ALCOHOL WITH ITS RESULTS, WHICH IN SOME PAGAN RELIGIONS WAS SUPPOSED TO INCREASE YOUR RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE.

**** OR WILL YOU BE UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WITH ITS WONDERFUL FRUIT TO FOLLOW.

1. AND CONTEXTUALLY, WE’VE STUDIED THE CONTRAST BETWEEN LIGHT AND DARKNESS, NOT BEING FOOLISH, WALKING IN WISDOM BY REDEEMING THE TIME.

* AND PAUL’S POINT CONTEXTUALLY IS GETTING DRUNK IS A MARK OF DARKNESS AND FOOLISHNESS WHEREAS BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT IS THE SOURCE OF A BELIEVER’S BEING ABLE TO WALK IN LIGHT AND WISDOM.

** NOW LET ME TRY TO BREAK THIS COMMAND DOWN BY UNPACKING IT.

*** AND FIRST OF ALL, TO GET DRUNK IS A SIN, NO QUESTION.

**** AND DRUNKENNESS CAN BE DEFINED AS ANY POINT IN WHICH THE ALCOHOL TAKES OVER ANY PART OF YOUR FACULTIES.

2. AND WHENEVER YOU YIELD THE CONTROL OF YOUR FACULTIES, IN ANY SENSE, TO ALCOHOL – THAT BECOMES DRUNKENNESS.

* THE WORD DRUNK LIT. MEANS TO BE INTOXICATED. WYCLIFFE TRANSLATES IT TO “BE FILLED”.

** VINCENT IN HIS WORD STUDIES SAYS: “A CURIOUS USE OF THE WORD OCCURS IN HOMER WHERE HE IS DESCRIBING THE STRETCHING OF A BULL’S HIDE, WHICH IN ORDER TO MAKE IT MORE ELASTIC IS SOAKED WITH FAT.”

*** AND THE WORD “SOAKED” IS THE GREEK WORD TRANSLATED “DRUNK” IN OUR TEXT.

**** KENNETH WEUST IN HIS WORD STUDIES CONCLUDES THAT THE WORD DRUNK “REFERS TO A CONDITION OF A PERSON IN WHICH HE IS SOAKED WITH WINE.”

3. FOR YOU SEE THERE WERE SEVERAL DIFFERENT KINDS OF WINE BACK THEN, BUT BASICALLY WINE WHICH WAS NATURALLY FERMENTED AND NOT ADDING ALCOHOL TO ITS BASE WAS BASICALLY DILUTED BY WATER.

* THERE WAS STILL ALCOHOL IN IT, BUT VERY LITTLE. SO ONE WOULD LITERALLY HAVE TO SIT LONG AT THE WINE TO GET DRUNK, TO CONSUME LARGE AMOUNTS TO GET DRUNK.

** AND DRUNKENNESS IS CLEARLY FORBIDDEN IN SCRIPTURE, IT IS A PATTERN THAT IS EVIDENT IN PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW CHRIST.

*** FOR EXAMPLE, ROMANS 13:13 SAYS: “LET US BEHAVE PROPERLY AS IN THE DAY, NOT IN CAROUSING AND DRUNKENNESS, NOT IN SEXUAL PROMISCUITY AND SENSUALITY, NOT IN STRIFE AND JEALOUSY.”

**** IN GALATIANS 5:19-21 DRUNKENNESS IS A DEED OF THE FLESH AND IF IT IS THE PRACTICE OF AN INDIVIDUAL IT SHOWS THEY ARE NOT SAVED. (READ THEM).

4. IN I CORINTHIANS 6:10 IT SAYS THAT DRUNKARDS WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD. (READ

I CORINTHIANS 6:9&10)

* IN I PETER 4:3&4 PETER SAYS: “FOR THE TIME ALREADY PAST IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU TO HAVE CARRIED OUT THE DESIRE OF THE GENTILES, HAVING PURSUED A COURSE OF SENSUALITY, LUSTS, DRUNKENNESS, CAROUSING, DRINKING PARTIES AND ABOMINABLE IDOLATRIES.”

V. 4 – “IN ALL THIS, THEY ARE SURPRISED THAT YOU DO NOT RUN WITH THEM INTO THE SAME EXCESSES OF DISSIPATION, AND THEY MALIGN YOU.”

** NOW ALL OF THAT KIND OF LIVING IS IN THE PAST FOR A BELIEVER.

*** AND THEN IN I THESSALONIANS 5:6&7 IT SAYS: “SO THEN LET US NOT SLEEP AS OTHERS DO, BUT LET US BE ALERT AND SOBER.”

V. 7 – FOR THOSE WHO SLEEP DO THEIR SLEEPING AT NIGHT, AND THOSE WHO GET DRUNK GET DRUNK AT NIGHT.”

**** NOW THE POINT HERE IS THAT IN CHRIST WE HAVE ENTERED INTO THE DAY AND THERE IS NO PLACE FOR DRUNKENNESS.

5. YET WITH THAT CLEAR COMMAND, I MUST SAY FOR INTEGRITY’S SAKE, WHAT IS FORBIDDEN IN OUR TEXT AND THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE IS NOT THE USE OF MILD DILUTED WINE BUT THE ABUSE.

* IT’S NOT USE, BUT ABUSE. DRUNKENNESS IS CLEARLY SIN, CONSUMPTION OF WINE WAS NOT.

** YET, AND I WANT TO MAKE THIS CLEAR, THE DANGERS OF ABUSE OF ALCOHOL ARE VERY REAL AND IT CAUSES NUMEROUS PROBLEMS IN OUR SOCIETY AND ABUSE CAN START WITH THE FIRST DRINK.

*** LISTEN AND LOOK AT THESE CLEAR WARNINGS IN SCRIPTURE ABOUT CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL.

**** IN PROVERBS 20:1 IT SAYS: (READ IT).

6. IN PROVERBS 23:29-33 IT SAYS: (READ IT).

* ISAIAH 5:11 SAYS: “WOE TO THOSE WHO RISE EARLY IN THE MORNING THAT THEY MAY PURSUE STRONG DRINK.”

** HOSEA 4:11 SAYS: “HARLOTRY, WINE AND NEW WINE TAKE AWAY THE UNDERSTANDING.”

*** IN ROMANS 14 PAUL TALKS ABOUT PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY. AND IN ROMANS 14:13 HE SAYS: (READ IT).

**** NOW FURTHER ON IN THIS TEXT IN V. 21 HE SAYS: “IT IS GOOD NOT TO EAT MEAT OR TO DRINK WINE, OR TO DO ANYTHING BY WHICH YOUR BROTHER STUMBLES.”

7. NOW THE WARNINGS ARE NUMEROUS AND AN ELDER IS NOT TO BE ADDICTED TO WINE IN I TIMOTHY 3:3 AND TITUS 1:7.

* AND OLDER WOMEN WHO WERE AND ARE TO TEACH AND BE EXAMPLES TO YOUNGER WOMEN IN TITUS 2:3 ARE TOLD NOT TO BE ENSLAVED BY MUCH WINE.

** NOW AGAIN WINE IS NOT FORBIDDEN, AGAIN REMEMBER WINE THAT WAS PRIMARILY DILUTED BY WATER, THAT DID NOT HAVE THE HIGH POWERED PERCENTAGE THAT SOME OF OURS DO.

*** AND CLEARLY IN BIBLE TIMES, GOD’S PEOPLE DRANK A DILUTED NATURAL WINE, IN FACT IT WAS A PART OF BRINGING DRINK OFFERINGS OF WINE TO THE TEMPLE IN THE DRINK OFFERING IN LEVITICUS 23:13,

I TIMOTHY 5:23.

**** NOW WITH ALL OF THAT IN MIND ABOUT THE SIN OF DRUNKENNESS AND THE WARNINGS ABOUT ALCOHOL,

8. I CANNOT SAY IT IS A SIN TO DRINK A GLASS OF WINE, BUT FOR BETH AND I, WE HAVE DETERMINED TO ABSTAIN FROM DRINKING ANY ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE.

* AND THE REASONS FOR THAT ARE:

** WE SEE A PREOCCUPATION WITH ALCOHOL THAT WE DON’T WANT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH IN OUR CULTURE AND THE HEARTACHE AND DEATHS THAT ARE CAUSED BY IT.

*** AND THE GREATER THE ABUSE IN A SOCIETY, THE LESS I WANT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH IT AND THE TEMPTATION FOR ABUSE.

**** NO. 2 WE HAVE DECIDED TO LIMIT OUR LIBERTY FOR THE SAKE OF WEAKER BRETHREN. WE DON’T WANT TO BE A STUMBLING BLOCK TO CHRISTIANS OR A BAD TESTIMONY TO THE WORLD.

9. NO. 3 WE WANT TO BE EXAMPLES TO OUR CHILDREN. I GREW UP IN A NON-CHRISTIAN HOME THAT AT TIMES HAD ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES IN THE REFRIGERATOR.

* AND I AM ASHAMED TO SAY IT, BUT AS A NON-CHRISTIAN GOT DRUNK FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THE AGE OF 14, SO I WANTED TO BE AN EXAMPLE TO MY CHILDREN OF NOT DRINKING IN THE HOPE THAT THEY WOULD NEVER DRINK WITH ALL THE ABUSES AND HEARTACHE THAT FOLLOWS.

** NO. 4 DRINKING WINE IS NOT NECESSARY FOR ME TO ENJOY LIFE AS THE ALCOHOL INDUSTRY ADVERTISES.

*** THE BOTTOM LINE FOR ME, IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR ME TO HAVE JOY OR LIVE, SO I ABSTAIN FROM SOMETHING THAT POTENTIALLY COULD BRING ADDICTION AND I DON’T WANT TO BE A STUMBLING BLOCK SO I DON’T NEED IT. I DON’T WANT ANYTHING TO CONTROL ME BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT.

**** AND WITH SO MANY WARNINGS ABOUT ITS ABUSE I DON’T NEED ANOTHER TEMPTATION. IS IT SIN? NO, BUT IS IT UNWISE IN OUR CULTURE? I THINK IT CAN BE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.

10. ONE LAST QUICK THING HERE IN V. 18A, DRUNKENNESS LEADS TO DEBAUCHERY OR DISSIPATION. IT LEADS TO A LIFE OF DESTRUCTION AND MISERY, AN ABANDON, DEBAUCHED LIFE, SHAMELESS, RECKLESS LIFE OF EXCESS.

* AND THE CHRISTIAN MUST ASK HIMSELF IF IT IS WISE FOR HIM TO HAVE ANY PART OF SOMETHING THAT HAS SUCH A GREAT POTENTIAL FOR DESTRUCTION AND SIN.

** SO THE CLEAR NEGATIVE COMMAND IS DO NOT GET DRUNK WITH WINE.

** NOW OUR 2’D POINT TODAY IS A CLEARER CONTRAST. LOOK BACK AT V. 18 PLEASE WHERE WE’LL SEE OUR SECOND POINT, THE CONTRAST.

II. THE CONTRAST, (READ V. 18)

A. NOW THE CONTRAST HERE GOES TO THE ISSUE OF CONTROL. WILL YOU BE CONTROLLED BY WINE WHICH LEADS TO DEBAUCHERY AND DISSIPATION OR WILL YOU BE CONTROLLED BY THE SPIRIT WHICH LEADS TO JOY, THANKFULNESS, MUTUAL SUBMISSION AND THE THINGS THAT FOLLOW IN THE REST OF CHAPTER 5 AND THE FIRST PART OF CHAPTER 6.

* AND AT THIS POINT WE’RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE MEANING OF THIS FILLING AND I’LL CLOSE IN APPLICATION TO THE MEANS OF THIS FILLING.

** AND FIRST OF ALL THE MEANING. NOW THE VERB “BE FILLED” IS A PRESENT IMPERATIVE IN THE GREEK AND CAN BE LITERALLY RENDERED “BE BEING KEPT FILLED”.

*** IT IS A COMMAND THAT INCLUDES THE IDEA OF CONSCIOUS CONTINUATION. BE CONSTANTLY, MOMENT BY MOMENT, CONTROLLED BY THE SPIRIT, TO BE FILLED CONTINUALLY BY THE SPIRIT, THE INFILLING IS TO BE CONTINUAL.

**** AND BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT AN OPTION FOR BELIEVERS, BUT A MANDATE.

1. FOR NO CHRISTIAN CAN FULFILL GOD’S WILL FOR HIS LIFE APART FROM BEING FILLED WITH HIS SPIRIT.

* AND IF WE DO NOT OBEY THIS COMMAND, WE CANNOT OBEY ANY OTHER, SIMPLY BECAUSE WE CANNOT DO ANY OF GOD’S WILL APART FROM GOD’S SPIRIT.

** THIS IS A VITAL PRACTICAL COMMAND FOR BELIEVERS TO OBEY IF THEY WANT TO WALK THE WORTHY WALK.

*** NOW THE WORD FILLED LIT. HAS TO DO WITH CONTROL, IT HAS TO DO WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT CONTROL OVER A BELIEVER.

**** SO THE CONTINUOUS ASPECT OF BEING FILLED INVOLVES DAY BY DAY, MOMENT BY MOMENT SUBMISSION TO THE SPIRIT’S CONTROL.

2. AND THE PASSIVE ASPECT OF THIS COMMAND, FOR THIS VERB IS A PRESENT PASSIVE IMPERATIVE INDICATING THAT IT IS NOT SOMETHING WE DO, BUT THAT WE ALLOW TO BE DONE IN US.

* THE FILLING IS ENTIRELY THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT HIMSELF, BUT HE WORKS ONLY THROUGH OUR WILLING SUBMISSION.

** THE SPIRIT IS IN CONTROL, NOT US. IN FACT THE IDEA OF THIS GREEK WORD IS THAT THE SPIRIT CARRIES US, MOVES US ALONG, HE PERMEATES US AND IS UNDER TOTAL CONTROL IF WE ARE FILLED.

*** AND THE CHRISTIAN WHO IS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN BE COMPARED TO A GLOVE.

**** UNTIL IT IS FILLED BY A HAND, A GLOVE IS POWERLESS AND USELESS. IT IS DESIGNED TO DO WORK, BUT IT CAN DO NO WORK BY ITSELF.

3. IT WORKS ONLY AS THE HAND CONTROLS AND USES IT. THE GLOVE’S ONLY WORK IS THE HAND’S WORK.

* AND A CHRISTIAN CAN ACCOMPLISH NO MORE WITHOUT BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT THAN A GLOVE CAN ACCOMPLISH WITHOUT BEING FILLED WITH A HAND.

** SO TO BE FILLED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT IS TO BE UNDER THE SPIRIT’S DIRECTION, PERMEATION AND CONTROL.

*** AND THE DISCIPLES WERE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT IN ACTS 2 AS THE SPIRIT CAME IN FULLNESS, BUT THEY WERE FILLED AGAIN IN ACTS 4:31 (READ IT).

**** NOW MY POINT IS IT’S NOT A ONE TIME THING, BUT SHOULD BE CONTINUAL. AND WHERE WE YIELD TO THE FLESH, WE ARE NOT UNDER THE SPIRIT’S CONTROL, BUT AS WE CONFESS OUR SIN AND YIELD TO THE SPIRIT WE ARE FILLED AGAIN.

4. NOW I’VE GIVEN YOU THE MEANING, LET ME QUICKLY GIVE YOU SOME THOUGHTS ON WHAT IT DOESN’T MEAN BEFORE I CLOSE WITH THE MEANS.

* AND I DO THIS FOR THERE IS SO MUCH CONFUSION ABOUT THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

** NO. 1 BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT IS NOT THE SAME AS POSSESSING OR BEING INDWELT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, BECAUSE HE INDWELLS EVERY BELIEVER AT THE MOMENT OF SALVATION, READ JOHN 7:38&39, JOHN 14:16, ROMANS 8:8&9, I CORINTHIANS 6:19&20, EPHESIANS 1:13&14.

*** SO WHEN WE BECOME CHRISTIANS WE RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT AND ALL THE HOLY SPIRIT WE WILL EVER RECEIVE, BUT WE’RE NOT FILLED UNTIL HE GETS ALL OF US.

**** NO. 2 THE FILLING OF THE SPIRIT IS NOT THE SAME AS THE BAPTISM OF THE SPIRIT.

5. THE BAPTISM OF THE SPIRIT TAKES PLACE AT SALVATION AS WE ARE IMMERSED, PLACED INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST, READ I CORINTHIANS 12:13.

* SO THERE IS ONE BAPTISM AT SALVATION, MANY FILLINGS.

** NO. 3 THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT RESULT IN SPEAKING IN TONGUES OR SIGN GIFTS OR OF SOME SECOND WORK OF GRACE THAT RESULTS IN LOSS OF CONTROL WITH ECSTATIC UTTERANCES OR AN ESOTERIC EXPERIENCE.

*** THE RESULTS OF BEING FILLED ARE GIVEN AND THEY ARE THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT, JOY, THANKSGIVING, MUTUAL SUBMISSION, ETC.

**** FINALLY, THE FILLING OF THE SPIRIT IS NOT THE SAME AS BEING SEALED WITH THE SPIRIT, FOR THAT IS AN ACCOMPLISHED FACT AGAIN AT SALVATION AS WE HAVE HEARD FROM EPHESIANS 1:13&14.

6. THE KEY NOW IS THAT WE DON’T GRIEVE AND QUENCH HIM BY OUR SIN, READ EPHESIANS 4:30 AND

I THESSALONIANS 5:19.

* SO WE ARE ALREADY SAVED BY THE SPIRIT. AND THAT IS WHY, NOWHERE ARE BELIEVERS COMMANDED OR EXHORTED TO BE INDWELT, BAPTIZED OR SEALED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. THE ONLY COMMAND IS TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT!

- AND WITH THAT IN MIND, WE COME TO THE APPLICATION SECTION, THE WRAP-UP OF OUR MESSAGE TODAY WHICH WILL BE THE MEANS TO BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.

(1) AND PLEASE UNDERSTAND THIS, GOD COMMANDS NOTHING FOR WHICH HE DOES NOT PROVIDE THE MEANS TO OBEY.

* AND IF GOD COMMANDS SOMETHING OF US, WE DO NOT NEED TO PRAY FOR IT, BECAUSE IT IS OBVIOUSLY HIS WILL AND INTENT FOR US TO DO IT.

** SO WE MUST YIELD TO THE SPIRIT. SO TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT INVOLVES CONFESSION OF SIN, SURRENDER OF OUR WILLS AND LIVES AND THEN WALKING IN THE SPIRIT.

*** FOR WHEN WE CONFESS AND FORSAKE SIN WHICH GRIEVES AND QUENCHES THE SPIRIT AND YIELD TO HIM DYING TO SELFISHNESS, WHERE WE DIE TO SELF, THE LORD FILLS US WITH HIS SPIRIT.

**** LET ME PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, AS WE YIELD OUR LIVES TO THE WORD OF GOD AND FILL OUR LIVES WITH THE WORD, THE HOLY SPIRIT TAKES CONTROL.

(2) RATHER THAN BEING FILLED WITH OURSELVES AND OUR WILL, OUR LIVES ARE FILLED WITH THE WORD WHICH IS SYNONYMOUS WITH BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, READ COLOSSIANS 3:16 AND COMMENT ON WHAT FOLLOWS.

* NOW THE TRUTH HERE IS TO BE FILLED WITH GOD’S SPIRIT IS TO BE FILLED WITH HIS WORD.

** AND AS WE ARE FILLED WITH GOD’S WORD, IT CONTROLS OUR THINKING AND ACTION, AND WE THEREBY COME MORE AND MORE UNDER THE SPIRIT’S CONTROL.

*** AS CHARLES SPURGEON SAID, THE CHRISTIAN’S BLOOD SHOULD BE “BIBLINE”, BLEEDING SCRIPTURE WHENEVER HE MAY BE PRICKED OR CUT.

**** SO WE MUST FILL OUR LIVES WITH THE WORD.

(3) THE BOTTOM LINE OF OUR TEXT TODAY IS WE HAVE TWO CLEAR VITAL COMMANDS.

* THE NEGATIVE – DON’T GET DRUNK, DON’T BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE, THE CONTROL OF ALCOHOL.

** AND NO. 2 A POSITIVE COMMAND – BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, BE UNDER THE CONTROL, THE INFLUENCE OF THE SPIRIT. MAY WE OBEY THESE COMMANDS.