SERIES: EPHESIANS: THE CALL AND CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH, WEEK 43

TITLE: RESULTS OF BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

TEXT: EPHESIANS 5:19-21

INTRODUCTION: (1) I WANT TO BEGIN MY MESSAGE THIS MORNING WITH A STATEMENT THAT IS NOT GIVEN TO DISCOURAGE YOU, IF YOU ARE A BELIEVER, BUT TO CHALLENGE YOU.

* AND THAT IS, UNLESS YOU ARE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, YOU’RE OF NO USE TO GOD.

** THE REASON BEING EVERYTHING YOU TRY TO CRANK OUT ON YOUR OWN IS DONE IN THE FLESH AND IS USELESS.

*** AT BEST IT’S STUBBLE, NOT GOLD, SILVER AND PRECIOUS STONES, TALKED ABOUT IN I CORINTHIANS 3:11-15, SPEAKING OF TWO CATEGORIES OF MATERIALS: THE VALUABLE AND THE USELESS. (READ IT).

**** NOW WORKS THAT ARE DONE AS A RESULT OF BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, GOLD, SILVER, PRECIOUS STONES WILL BE REWARDED AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST, THE BEMA ONE DAY.

(2) BUT WORKS LIKE WOOD, HAY AND STUBBLE WILL BE BURNED, WORKS THAT ARE DONE IN THE FLESH WITH WRONG MOTIVES, FOR WRONG REASONS THAT ARE NOT DONE FOR CHRIST, LED AND DIRECTED BY THE SPIRIT.

* NOW WHENEVER THE LORD WANTS A JOB DONE, HE ALWAYS GETS SOMEBODY FULL OF THE SPIRIT.

** LET ME ILLUSTRATE FROM THE BOOK OF ACTS WHICH IS SOMETIMES CALLED THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES BUT IN MY MIND IS THE ACTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

*** IN ACTS 4:31 IN TALKING ABOUT PETER AND JOHN AND THEIR COMPANIONS, POSSIBLY THE REST OF THE APOSTLES, IT SAYS: (READ IT).

**** AND THEN IN ACTS 4:33 ONE OF THE RESULTS OF THIS FILLING IS GIVEN: “AND WITH GREAT POWER THE APOSTLES WERE GIVING TESTIMONY TO THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD JESUS, AND ABUNDANT GRACE WAS UPON THEM ALL.”

(3) THEN IN ACTS 6:5 THE APOSTLES NEEDED SOME MEN FOR A SPECIAL JOB WHICH WE BELIEVE WERE THE FIRST DEACONS, AND THEY WERE APPOINTED TO DO THIS SPECIAL WORK OF PHYSICAL MINISTRY. AND IN ACTS 6:3 WE SEE ONE OF THE QUALIFICATIONS, (READ IT).

* MOVING ON IN ACTS 7:55 WE SEE STEPHEN WHO WAS USED BY GOD AND HE WAS PUT TO DEATH BY STONING, AND IT SAYS IN ACTS 7:55: “BUT BEING FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, HE GAZED INTENTLY INTO HEAVEN AND SAW THE GLORY OF GOD, AND JESUS STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.”

** THEN IN ACTS 9:17 WE FIND THAT SAUL WHO BECAME PAUL HAD TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT BEFORE HE BEGAN HIS MIGHTY WORK FOR GOD, OTHERWISE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN THE ENERGY OF THE FLESH.

*** MY POINT BEING, WHEN GOD WANTS SOMEONE TO MINISTER TO HIS CHURCH, OR PIONEER A MISSIONARY WORK, OR TO LEAD PEOPLE TO HIS SON, HE USES PEOPLE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.

**** FOR THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE KEY, THE MEANS, THE FUEL IN BEING ABLE TO LIVE IN A WAY THAT PLEASES GOD BY DOING HIS WILL. (AND WE EXAMINED V. 18 LAST WEEK.)

(4) NOW IN OUR TEXT TODAY WE SEE RESULTS, EVIDENCES, FRUITS OF BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, OF OBEYING THE IMPERATIVE, THE COMMAND TO BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE ULTIMATE IMPERATIVE.

* AND HERE IN THE GREEK TEXT, VERSES 18-21 FORM ONE LONG SENTENCE, WITH FIVE PARTICIPLES MODIFYING THE IMPERATIVE, THE COMMAND TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.

** AND THESE 5 PARTICIPLES EXPLAIN WHAT IT MEANS TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT. THE PARTICIPLES DESCRIBE THE RESULTS OF BEING FILLED WITH GOD’S SPIRIT.

*** SO WE HAVE A VERB THAT IS AN IMPERATIVE, A COMMAND, BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT IN V. 18, AND 5 PARTICIPLES FOLLOW IN THE REST OF THIS LONG SENTENCE TO EXPLAIN THE RESULTS, EXPLAIN WHAT IT MEANS TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.

**** AND THEY ARE SPEAKING, SINGING, MAKING MELODY OR MUSIC, GIVING THANKS AND SUBMITTING OR BEING SUBJECT.

(5) AND FOR THE PURPOSE OF OUR STUDY TODAY, I’M GOING TO COMPRESS THESE 5 PARTICIPLES THAT MODIFY THE VERB OF “BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT” TO 3 MAIN POINTS UNDER THE TITLE OF “RESULTS OF BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT”.

* AND MY 3 POINTS ARE: (1) THE SONG, V. 19, THE SOVEREIGNTY, V. 20 AND THE SUBMISSION, V. 21.

** AND THAT WILL BE THE OUTLINE I WILL USE TO EXPOSIT OUR TEXT TODAY. AND WITHOUT ANY MORE INTRODUCTION, LOOK AT V. 19 PLEASE WHERE WE’LL SEE OUR FIRST POINT TODAY, THE SONG.

I. THE SONG, (READ V. 19)

A. NOW THREE OF THE PARTICIPLES THAT ARE RESULTS OF “BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT” ARE FOUND IN V. 19; SPEAKING TO ONE ANOTHER, SINGING AND MAKING MUSIC OR MELODY.

* AND THE FIRST RESULTS IN SPEAKING TO ONE ANOTHER IN PSALMS AND HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS.

** AND SPEAKING TO ONE ANOTHER IS THE BETTER TRANSLATION OVER SPEAKING TO YOURSELVES, AND IS TRANSLATED THAT WAY IN THE NAS, THE NIV AND THE NKJV.

*** NOW THE RESULT HAS A HORIZONTAL DIMENSION TO IT, A CORPORATE RESPONSE AS BELIEVERS GATHER IN ADDRESSING ONE ANOTHER IN SINGING PSALMS, HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS, SPIRIT FILLED SINGING THAT EDIFIES BELIEVERS.

**** AND THE PRIMARY AUDIENCE FOR THIS FIRST PARTICIPLE IS TO FELLOW BELIEVERS, SPEAKING TO ONE ANOTHER IN SONGS.

1. AND THE GREEK WORD HERE FOR SPEAKING LIT. MEANS TO UTTER A VOICE OR TO EMIT A SOUND. AND HERE IN THIS CONTEXT TO UTTER A SOUND – SINGING, A JOYFUL NOISE TO EACH OTHER BY USING PSALMS, HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS.

* FOR YOU SEE WHEN A BELIEVER IS FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT HE HAS AN INSIDE JOY THAT MANIFESTS ITSELF OUTWARDLY IN MUSIC.

** OUR LORD PUTS MUSIC IN THE SOULS AND THEN ON THE LIPS OF HIS CHILDREN WHO ARE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.

*** AND AS BELIEVERS COME TOGETHER CORPORATELY TO WORSHIP THE LORD, THE OVERFLOW OF BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT IS MANIFEST BY SPIRIT FILLED SINGING WHICH ENCOURAGES ONE ANOTHER.

**** IT’S THE SONG OF THE REDEEMED AND AS TRUTHS ARE SUNG AND TESTIMONIES AND PLEAS OF OUR HEARTS ARE SUNG, WE ARE ENCOURAGED, CHALLENGED AND MOVED FROM THE JOY OF THE LORD.

2. NOW SPECIFICALLY WHAT KIND OF SONGS DO WE USE IN SPEAKING AND SINGING TO ONE ANOTHER?

* WELL, PSALMS. AND PSALMS PROBABLY REFER TO THE O.T. PSALMS PUT TO MUSIC, BUT THE TERM WAS ALSO USED OF VOCAL MUSIC OF ANY SORT.

** BUT WE ARE TOLD THE EARLY CHURCH DID MOST OF ITS SINGING DIRECTLY FROM THE PSALTERY, THE PSALMS, USING VARIOUS TUNES FAMILIAR TO THE CONGREGATION.

*** AND WE SING A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF PSALMS HERE AT FBC.

**** NEXT, HYMNS ARE TALKED ABOUT. AND THEY REFER PRIMARILY TO SONGS OF PRAISE, WHICH IN THE EARLY CHURCH WERE PROBABLY DISTINGUISHED FROM THE PSALMS WHICH EXALTED GOD, WHEREAS THE HYMNS SPECIFICALLY PRAISED THE LORD JESUS.

3. AND MANY BIBLICAL SCHOLARS BELIEVE THAT VARIOUS N.T. PASSAGES SUCH AS COLOSSIANS 1:12-16, I TIMOTHY 3:16 AND PHILIPPIANS 2:6-11 WERE USED AS HYMNS, SINGING CHRISTIAN TRUTHS FROM THE WORD.

* AND BECAUSE OF OUR TALENTED SPIRITUAL WORSHIP LEADER, WE SING N.T. SCRIPTURES PUT TO SONG BY DAVE HEIMANN. WHAT A JOY TO SING THE WORD!

** AND NO. 3 SPIRITUAL SONGS ARE TALKED ABOUT. AND SPIRITUAL SONGS WERE PROBABLY SONGS OF TESTIMONY THAT COVERED A BROAD CATEGORY THAT INCLUDED ANY MUSIC EXPRESSING SPIRITUAL TRUTH.

*** NOW AGAIN THESE THREE SONG CATEGORIES HAVE A HORIZONTAL FLAVOR, SPEAKING TO ONE ANOTHER.

**** BUT THE NEXT TWO PARTICIPLES HAVE IN MY UNDERSTANDING A VERTICAL DIMENSION – THE LORD, THE END OF V. 19. PAUL IS NOT BEING REDUNDANT HERE.

4. THE RESULT HERE IS SINGING, ONE PARTICIPLE AND MAKING MELODY, ANOTHER PARTICIPLE, IN OUR HEARTS TO THE LORD.

* AND OUR HEARTS DO NOT SPECIFY AN INWARD DISPOSITION, RATHER OUR HEARTS HERE SIGNIFY THE WHOLE OF ONE’S BEING.

** THE ENTIRE PERSON SHOULD BE FILLED WITH SONGS OF PRAISE, THEREBY EXPRESSING THE REALITY OF LIFE IN THE SPIRIT.

*** IN FACT WE SEE THIS IN THE PARALLEL COMPANION TEXT IN COLOSSIANS 3:16 WHERE IT SAYS: (READ IT).

**** AND IN COLOSSIANS 3:16 AND HERE IN EPHESIANS 5:19, OUR SINGING IS HORIZONTAL TO EACH OTHER AND VERTICAL TO THE LORD. WE SING TO EACH OTHER AND WE SING AND MAKE MELODY IN OUR HEARTS TO THE LORD.

5. AND THE GREEK WORD FOR MAKING MELODY LIT. MEANS TO PLUCK ON A STRINGED INSTRUMENT, TO TWANG, TO TOUCH OR STRIKE THE CHORD WHICH CAN MAKE REFERENCE TO INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC ALSO.

* SO WE SING AND THOSE WHO PLAY INSTRUMENTS DO THAT FOR THE LORD.

** AND BELOVED, SINGING AND PLAYING TO THE LORD SHOULD BE A JOY. AS WE SING AND THINK OF TRUTHS AND PRAY AND PRAISE IN SONG, IT SHOULD BE A RESULT OF BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT AND SHOULD BE DONE HEARTILY TO THE LORD.

*** AND WE DON’T SING AND HAVE SPECIALS TO FILL UP SPACE AND TIME. THIS MAY COME AS A SURPRISE FOR YOU, I COULD PREACH LONGER, AND WE KNOW THAT BRUCE CAN.

**** BUT SERIOUSLY, SINGING HORIZONTALLY AND VERTICALLY FROM THE HEART IS A PART OF ENCOURAGING AND TEACHING ONE ANOTHER AND WORSHIPPING OUR LORD AND IS AN EVIDENCE OF BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.

6. AND THAT’S OUR FIRST POINT TODAY, THE SONG. NOW OUR 2’D POINT IS THE SOVEREIGNTY, LOOK AT V. 20 PLEASE.

II. THE SOVEREIGNTY, (READ V. 20)

A. NOW THE ONLY WAY WE CAN GIVE THANKS IN ALL THINGS IS TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT AND SEE THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN.

* FOR YOU SEE THE SPIRIT FILLED HEART SEES GOD’S GRACIOUS HAND IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE AND KNOWS THAT GOD CAUSES ALL THINGS TO WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THOSE WHO LOVE GOD, TO THOSE WHO ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE, ROMANS 8:28.

** AND BELOVED THE SPIRIT FILLED BELIEVER SEES GOD’S WISE AND LOVING CARE IN THE DIFFICULTIES AND TRIALS AS WELL AS IN BLESSING AND PROSPERITY.

*** HE OR SHE GIVES THANKS FOR A JOB EVEN IF IT’S DEMANDING AND UNFILLING.

**** HE OR SHE THANKS GOD FOR HIS HEALTH, EVEN IF IT IS FAR FROM BEING WHAT HE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE.

1. HE OR SHE THANKS GOD WHEN A DEAR LOVED ONE DIES, SAYING WITH JOB, “THE LORD GAVE AND THE LORD HAS TAKEN AWAY. BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD” – JOB 1:21.

* AND THAT’S WHY I’VE USED THE WORD SOVEREIGNTY FOR OUR 2’D POINT, IT COMES DOWN TO SEEING THE INVISIBLE HAND OF THE ALL-MIGHTY BEHIND THINGS THAT HAPPEN, NOT THANKING HIM FOR SIN, BUT KNOW THAT HE OVERRULES AND WILL EVEN USE WHAT HE HATES TO ACCOMPLISH HIS ETERNAL PURPOSE FOR HIS GLORY AND THE BELIEVER’S ULTIMATE GOOD.

** AND BROTHERS AND SISTERS IT IS GOD’S WILL THAT WE GIVE HIM THANKS, READ I THESSALONIANS 5:18.

*** AND WE WILL DO THIS WHEN WE ARE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT. IT IS A CLEAR RESULT AND FRUIT.

**** IT IS THROUGH THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT ROOTED IN THE TRUTH OF SCRIPTURE THAT WE RECOGNIZE GOD’S CONTROL OF OUR LIVES IN EVERY DETAIL AS HE SEEKS TO CONFORM US TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON.

2. AND TO BE THANKLESS IS TO DISREGARD GOD’S CONTROL AND THE HOLY SPIRIT’S FILLING.

* SO WHAT COMES FROM YOUR LIPS? THANKSGIVING OR GRUMBLING, GRIPING, COMPLAINING?

** IF IT’S THE LATTER, IT’S A CLEAR INDICATOR YOU ARE NOT FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.

*** BELOVED CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE THE MOST THANKFUL PEOPLE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH, FOR OUR GREAT GOD HAS SOUGHT US, BOUGHT US AND SAVED US FROM OUR SINS.

**** WE WERE ON THE ROAD TO HELL, NOW WE ARE ON THE ROAD TO HEAVEN BY HIS GRACE ALONE. WE WERE IN OUR SINS, NOW WE’VE BEEN FORGIVEN, WHAT A JOY!

3. SO WE “ENTER HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING AND HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE” – PSALM 100:4.

* AND NOT ONLY SHOULD OUR CONVERSATION BE FILLED WITH THANKSGIVING, SO SHOULD OUR PRAYERS.

** AND PETITION IS A PART OF PRAYING, BUT IT SHOULD NOT BE THE FIRST PART OR THE ONLY PART OF PRAYING, I’M TALKING ABOUT ASKING.

*** TO ILLUSTRATE THAT, A MEDIEVAL LEGEND TELLS OF TWO ANGELS SENT TO THE EARTH BY THE LORD TO GATHER THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS.

**** ONE WAS TO GATHER THE PETITIONS (THE REQUESTS) AND THE OTHER THE THANKSGIVINGS.

4. THE ANGEL RESPONSIBLE FOR PETITIONS WAS NOT ABLE TO CARRY THEM BACK TO HEAVEN IN ONE LOAD, WHILE THE ANGEL RESPONSIBLE FOR THANKSGIVING CARRIED HIS BACK IN ONE HAND.

* NOW THAT LEGEND HAS DEVELOPED FROM THE SAD FACT THAT GOD’S CHILDREN ARE MORE PRONE TO ASK THAN TO THANK AND WE ARE TOLD TO ASK, BUT NOT ONLY TO ASK.

** WILLIAM HENDRIKSEN PICTURESQUELY COMMENTED THAT “WHEN A PERSON PRAYS WITHOUT THANKSGIVING HE HAS CLIPPED THE WINGS OF PRAYER SO THAT IT CANNOT RISE.”

*** SO OUR PRAYER SHOULD BE FILLED WITH THANKSGIVING, OUR HEARTS SHOULD BE FILLED WITH THANKSGIVING WHICH IS REFLECTED IN WHAT COMES OUT OF OUR MOUTHS.

**** AND IT ALL PROCEEDS FROM OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMAND TO BE FILLED, CONTROLLED, DIRECTED, LED BY THE SPIRIT.

5. AND LET ME ADD THAT BEING THANKFUL IS NOT A CHRISTIAN OPTION, A HIGH ORDER OF LIVING THAT WE ARE FREE TO CHOOSE OR DISREGARD.

* AS JONI EARECKSON TADA, A QUADRIPLEGIC AUTHOR, HAS OBSERVED, “GIVING THANKS IS NOT A MATTER OF FEELING THANKFUL, IT IS A MATTER OF OBEDIENCE.”

** AND LET ME ADD, OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMAND TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.

*** THANKSGIVING WILL FLOW FROM OUR HEARTS IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND TO GOD OUR FATHER AS WE ARE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT WHO LEADS US TO SEE GOD’S SOVEREIGN HAND BEHIND EVERYTHING AND HUMBLES US TO GIVE THANKS. (THE ENTIRE TRINITY IS INVOLVED IN OUR THANKSGIVING).

**** AND THAT THOUGHT LEADS US TO OUR LAST POINT TODAY, THE SUBMISSION. LOOK AT V. 21 PLEASE.

III. THE SUBMISSION, (READ V. 21)

A. NOW EPHESIANS 5:21 IS A HINGE VERSE WHICH LEADS INTO WHAT’S CALLED THE HOUSEHOLD CODES OF EPHESIANS 5:22-6:9.

* AND SOME COMMENTATORS LIKE V. 21 WITH WHAT FOLLOWS IN THE INSTRUCTION TO WIVES, HUSBANDS, CHILDREN, SLAVES AND SLAVE OWNERS.

** AND SO IN THEIR MIND THE PARAGRAPH RUNS FROM 5:21-6:9.

*** BUT THIS STRUCTURE OBSCURES THE FACT THAT ALL FIVE PARTICIPLES INCLUDING SUBMITTING OUR BEING SUBJECT IN V. 21 MODIFY THE IMPERATIVE TO BE FILLED BY THE SPIRIT.

**** SO V. 21 IS THE LAST PART OF THE SENTENCE THAT BEGINS IN V. 18.

1. BUT IT CERTAINLY APPEARS THAT BEGINNING IN V. 22 WITH A NEW PARAGRAPH STARTING, THAT PAUL WILL GIVE ILLUSTRATIONS OF SPECIFIC INSTANCES OF SUBMISSION WITHIN THE FAMILY OF FAMILIES, THE CHURCH, BEGINNING WITH WIVES TO HUSBANDS TO CHILDREN, TO SLAVES TO SLAVE OWNERS.

* NOW WITH THAT GRAMMAR IN MIND, BELIEVERS WHO ARE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT WILL BE MARKED BY SUBMISSION TO ONE ANOTHER.

** AND THIS WORD SUBMIT OR SUBJECT IS THE GREEK WORD HUPOTASSO WHICH YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN.

*** AND AS YOU CAN SEE THE WORD LIT. MEANS TO ARRANGE UNDER, TO SUBORDINATE, TO SUBJECT, TO PUT IN SUBJECTION, TO SUBJECT ONE’S SELF, TO YIELD TO ONE ADMONITION OR ADVICE, TO OBEY, TO BE SUBJECT.

**** NOW HOW DOES THIS MEANING FLESH OUT TO ONE ANOTHER IN THE DIFFERENT ROLES WE HAVE IN THE FAMILY OF FAMILIES? WELL VERSES 22 THROUGH CHAPTER 6 VERSE 9 WILL GIVE US SOME SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF SUBMITTING OR BEING SUBJECT.

2. BUT EVEN IN OUR EVERYDAY RELATIONSHIPS WE AS BELIEVERS SHOULD BE WILLING TO BE THE LEAST AND TO WASH EACH OTHER’S FEET IN A FIGURATIVE WAY.

* CHRIST WAS THE GREATEST BUT HE WAS A SERVANT. HE WAS THE LORD BUT HE WASHED HIS DISCIPLES FEET. HE WAS GOD BUT BECAME THE GOD-MAN.

** HE WAS THE CREATOR BUT BECAME A PART OF HIS CREATION, AND THE SERVANT OF HIS FATHER ALWAYS DOING HIS WILL.

*** JESUS SAID IN MATTHEW 20:26-28 (READ IT).

**** IT SAYS IN PHILIPPIANS 2:5-8 (READ THEM).

3. NOW CHRIST WAS A SERVANT. AND HE DOESN’T MEAN THAT HE LAID ASIDE HIS AUTHORITY, FOR HE SPOKE AS ONE HAVING AUTHORITY AND DID NOT GIVE INTO THE WHIMS AND WISHES OF HIS OPPONENTS.

* BUT IN THE PROCESS HE WAS A HUMBLE SERVANT TO HIS FATHER AND DID NOT GRASP TO BE EXALTED, HE LAID ASIDE HIS MAJESTY.

** WELL, WE ARE TO HAVE THAT KIND OF ATTITUDE TO ONE ANOTHER, EVEN IN OUR DIFFERENT ROLES OF AUTHORITY IN THE FAMILY AND THE FAMILY OF FAMILIES, ROMANS 12:10 SAYS: (READ IT).

*** PHILIPPIANS 2:3 SAYS: (READ IT). ALSO READ

I PETER 5:5.

**** AND IN GALATIANS 5:13 WE ARE CALLED TO THIS, “BUT THROUGH LOVE SERVE ONE ANOTHER”.

4. SO WE ARE FAMILY AND THERE IS MUTUAL SUBMISSION. AND EVEN THE AUTHORITY-SUBJECT RELATIONSHIPS IN THE CHURCH AND HOME ARE TO BE CONTROLLED BY LOVE AND HUMILITY.

* AUTHORITIES ARE SERVANT LEADERS SO A FRUIT OF BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT IS MUTUAL SUBMISSION, ARRANGING OURSELVES UNDER EACH OTHER AS SERVANTS AS CHRIST DID, NOT LAYING ASIDE GOD GIVEN AUTHORITY, BUT IN LIFE BEING MEEK AND HUMBLE.

** AND THAT MUTUAL SUBMISSION IS TO HAVE A SERVANT’S HEART LIKE CHRIST, SO NO ONE IS A BIG SHOT AND NO ONE IS A LITTLE SHOT, AND WE HAVE A ROLE OF AUTHORITY, WE LIVE IT OUT IN HUMILITY AND LOVE. (ILLUST. HUSBANDS).

*** NOW IN MATTERS OF ROLE AND FUNCTION, GOD HAS MADE DISTINCTIONS. BUT THERE IS TO BE AN ATTITUDE OF HUMILITY AND LOVE IN CARRYING OUT THESE ROLES.

**** NOW WITH THAT IN MIND, LOOK BACK AT V. 21, WE ARE TO BE SUBJECT TO ONE ANOTHER IN THE FEAR OF CHRIST, MEANING THAT OUR REVERENCE AND RESPECT FOR CHRIST OUR GOD IS THE BASIS FOR THIS MUTUAL SUBMISSION.

5. AND OUR MOTIVE FOR LIVING ACTIONS AND ATTITUDES IS OUT OF REVERENCE FOR CHRIST, A PRETTY GOOD MOTIVE WOULDN’T YOU SAY?

* THERE IS AN AWE FOR CHRIST, A RESPECT, A REVERENCE FOR CHRIST, A HOLY FEAR THAT DRIVES US TO APPLY THIS TRUTH UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

AND AS I WRAP UP THINGS TODAY: (1) I ASK IN APPLICATION, WHAT KIND OF FRUIT DO YOU SEE COMING OUT OF YOUR LIVES?

* WHAT ARE THE MORAL RESULTS? WELL, IF YOU ARE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, THESE 5 RESULTS WE’VE STUDIED TODAY WILL BE NORMS.

** SO HOW CAN WE TELL IF WE ARE CONTROLLED, FILLED, LED, PERMEATED OR DIRECTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT?

*** ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. IS THERE MUSIC IN OUR SOULS?

**** IS THERE THANKFULNESS AND PRAISE?

(2) IS THERE SUBMISSION IN OUR LIVES TO ONE ANOTHER AND AUTHORITIES THAT GOD HAS PUT OVER US?

* BELOVED, MAY WE TAKE THIS ULTIMATE IMPERATIVE OF BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT AND SUBMIT TO IT AND THEN WE WILL SEE THESE RESULTS WE’VE STUDIED TODAY.