Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20040725.htm

ADAPTING TO THE HOLY SPIRIT'S PRESENT MINISTRIES
Part VIII: Adapting To The Holy Spirit's Filling Ministry
(Ephesians 5:18 et al.)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

You can see from the title of this message in the sermon notes in today's worship bulletin that we are scheduled to focus on the "filling" of the Holy Spirit. This schedule of sermons was set months ago when I started this series on properly relating to the Holy Spirit's work in our day.

However, in the last several weeks, several people I know who have been exposed to our sermons or the sermon notes have been facing significant, life-changing family or marital or workplace needs. Thus, we may be thinking as we read the title to today's sermon these thoughts: "I appreciate the fact that Nepaug Bible Church does not hold that one must be filled' with the Spirit by allegedly speaking in tongues' or prophecying' or performing some other such sign gift' for today. I thus appreciate the fact that Pastor Shell is going to address this need in this sermon. However, the concerns I face now relative to my marriage or family life or to my job situation make me really more concerned about these things than hearing about the truth on the filling of the Spirit! Is there anything in this subject about these other deep concerns in my life?"



Well, CORRECTING current misconceptions in some Christian circles on this DOCTRINE of the "FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT" and TRULY APPLYING it from the CONTEXT of SCRIPTURE that TEACHES these things will CREATE TRANSFORMED MARRIAGES, FAMILIES and BUSINESS life!

Thus, I pursue the issue of the "filling of the Holy Spirit" today in KEEPING with the SCHEDULE God has BEFORE arranged for me to MAKE so as to discern the CORRECT doctrine so that it can be CORRECTLY APPLIED to IMPROVE our MARRIAGES, FAMILY life and BUSINESS situations:



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )



Need: "I know we at Nepaug Bible Church claim the filling of the Holy Spirit does NOT include today's alleged speaking in tongues' function as some claim, but how is that relevant to ME today? I am overburdened with marriage, family or business needs!"
  1. From the New Testament ITSELF, the function of being "filled with the Spirit" did NOT NECESSARILY involve "sign gifts":
    1. Though Acts 2:4; 10:44-46 and 19:1-6 connect the Spirit's filling with tongues and at times other gifts, Jesus was filled with the Spirit at His baptism according to Luke 3:22; 4:1, but He did not speak in tongues.
    2. Paul commanded believers in Ephesians 5:18-21 to be filled with the Holy Spirit, but he there did not associate this event with "sign gifts".
  2. Thus, we view Scripture for the TRUTH as well as the VALUE of the FILLING of the Holy Spirit in one's LIFESTYLE needs:
    1. Scripture teaches the truth of the "filling" of the Spirit as follows:
      1. From the Ephesians 5 context, we discern that to be "filled with the Holy Spirit" means to be continually controlled by Him:
        1. Paul contrasted the "filling of the Spirit" with drunkenness.
        2. Thus, the believer is to be controlled by the Spirit so that his behavior is affected by Him in contrast to how alcohol affects his behavior if he were drunk, Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, p. 93-94.
        3. Thus, in contrast to being drunk with alcohol, being "filled" with the Spirit means God controls one's attitude and behavior .
        4. Since the Ephesians 5:18 call to "be filled with the Spirit" is made in the present imperative to denote "continuous action", Paul called for a lifestyle where the Holy Spirit controlled one's attitude and behavior, Ibid, p. 94; UBS Grk. N. T., p. 675 with J. Gresham Machan, N. T. Grk. for Beginners , 1951 ed., p. 178.
      2. Now, the CONDITION for "being filled with the Holy Spirit" is a correct alignment with God's truth as is revealed in His Word :
        1. Since we previously learned [in this sermon series] that one is indwelt by the Spirit the instant he trusts in Christ (Eph. 1:13-14; Rom. 8:9b), he does NOT become "filled" with the Spirit by asking God for more of the Spirit! A believer already has ALL of the Spirit as He as a Person indwells and seals him!
        2. Rather, getting "filled" with the Spirit involves the Spirit's obtaining full control of the believer as follows: (1) "Grieve not the Holy Spirit": (a) Paul ordered believers to stop grieving the Holy Spirit as they hurt one another with abusive words, Eph. 4:29-32. (b) They were to cease such sin, implying a need to confess it, 1 John 1:9. (2) "Quench not the Spirit": (a) Paul urged believers not to inhibit the Holy Spirit's activity, 1 Thess. 5:19. (b) We must thus yield to God's leading and actions, which activity we discern is from God first by way of God's Word (2 Tim. 3:16-17), second by godly believers (Prov. 11:14), third by circumstances (Acts 16:6-10) and finally by inner righteous desire (Phil. 2:12-13) in that descending order (cf. 2 Timothy 3:13-17)! (3) "Walk in the Spirit": (a) Paul called the Galatian believers to walk in an attitude of dependence on the Holy Spirit for power to live out God's will, Galatians 5:16-23. (b) Thus, a believer must mentally lean on the Holy Spirit for the power to live righteously.
    2. Then, Scripture reveals the value of the filling of the Spirit as follows:
      1. The context of Ephesians 5:18 reveals this "[continual] filling" of the Spirit results in God's blessing one's WHOLE LIFESTYLE:
        1. The order to "be [continually] filled" in Eph. 5:18 is the main verb with Eph. 5:19-21 containing a string of participles that describe the application of that verb's action in the believer's experience, Ibid., UBS Greek New Testament, p. 675-676.
        2. Well, Ephesians 5:21 introduces one of these participles, the word, "submitting," and the whole Ephesians 5:22-6:9 section expounds on that one participle to explain how wives, children and slaves each submit to their respective overseers.
        3. Thus, Paul teaches the institutions of marriage (5:22-33) and family (6:1-4) and business (6:5-9) EACH function with God's blessing due to the "[continual] filling" of the Holy Spirit!
        4. Thus, the "[continual] filling of the Spirit" will produce a continual experience, or a LIFESTYLE of God's blessing !
Lesson Application: Being FILLED with the Holy Spirit is NOT gained by praying to get MORE of Him so as to perform some "sign gift.". Rather, it is a matter of the Spirit Who INDWELLS us HIMSELF getting CONTROL of US to produce a NEW LIFESTYLE! Thus, may we (1) trust in Christ as Savior to be indwelt by the Spirit, Jn. 3:16; Rom. 8:9b. (2) Then, may we be FILLED with Him by (a) confessing any post-salvation sins that block fellowship with God (1 Jn. 1:9) (b) followed by yielding to the Spirit's lead that we DISCERN by Scripture 1st, counsel from godly believers 2nd, circumstances 3rd and inner righteous desire 4th, followed by leaning on the Spirit for a NEW LIFE!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 I have two trees in my front yard that stand as evidences of what God can do by the power of the Holy Spirit in troubled lives, marriages and families:

(a) One tree is a sugar maple, a big shade tree that a man gave me years ago when it was only twelve feet high. He had gained victory over drugs and alcohol by faith in Christ. His marriage had been saved as a result, and he gave me the tree as a gift unto the Lord in accord with his appreciation for our ministry.

(b) The other tree is a Japanese maple, a delicate, red-leafed tree that is set in a half-circle, stone wall planter built into the sinking grade of that part of the lawn that bends down to meet the driveway.

I had built the planter for an ornamental tree but as yet had not saved up enough money to get one when a lady whose marriage had been saved by faith in Christ spied the planter and asked what I wanted in it. When I told her I hoped I could plant a red-leafed Japanese maple there, she promptly went out and bought one for me!

She and her husband had shown up in our Church one Sunday as a last-ditch effort to try to save their marriage before contacting the divorce lawyers the next day. I had delivered my planned message on God's salvation through Christ and how it can salvage families. She had accepted Christ as her Savior right while I was preaching and her husband, a weak believer, had decided to rely on the Lord for living, so their marriage was salvaged and they never called the lawyers! Her gift of the tree was given in appreciation for our ministry to them both.

In considering those two trees, I see evidence of real hope for the millions of troubled substance abusers around the world and the millions of spouses in troubled marriages worldwide; if they would only trust in Christ as Savior from sin and live lives filled with the Holy Spirit -- what an impact for good that would make on the world!

No wonder Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, founder of the Dallas Theological Seminary held the subject of the Christian's Spiritual Life so close to his heart! No wonder I heard Dr. J. Vernon McGee in taped a message for his Thru the Bible radio broadcast listeners not long before his death urge believers to live by the Holy Spirit's power!



May we GRIEVE NOT, QUENCH NOT and then WALK IN the Holy Spirit's power to enjoy His FILLING with its blessing!