Be Filled with the Spirit

With me please to Ephesians chapter 5 and to verse 18 this evening.

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

Ephesians 5 and at verse 18.

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.

Be filled with the Spirit.

Now surely friends, this tonight is our greatest need as Christians.

It's the Church's greatest need, it's our individual need as well.

And for ourselves, for the congregation, for every aspect of the work that we are engaged in,

for the preaching of the Gospel, for our outreach, our evangelism,

for the work with young folks, for the work with older folks,

it doesn't matter what aspect we think about, but this is the greatest need we have,

that we be filled with the Spirit of God.

Every single thing that Paul is actually setting out for the Ephesians,

that they are to be as Christians, that they are to be in relation to each other,

in order to love each other, to be in the right relation to each other,

to look after each other and so on.

Everything they are to be in relation to the world around them,

as the world looks in upon them and sees them as the people of God.

Every single aspect of that, every single avenue of that,

is to be met by being filled with the Spirit of God.

We have to have everything in place for sure.

We need to have all the mechanisms, if you like,

in place in order to function as individuals or as a congregation.

We need to have our strategy, our planning.

We need to have our buildings.

We need to have our various meetings.

We need to have the structures that we have in the congregation.

We need to have all of these things and more in place.

But we can have all of these in place and still lack this.

Because this really takes priority and precedence over anything else.

Without being filled with the Spirit, without being moved inwardly by the Spirit of God,

none of these other things in themselves will produce the results that we long for.

And we long for more conversions.

We long for more enthusiasm in ourselves, myself included, very much.

We long for a lessening of the apathy that's obvious when people don't find it in their hearts to come to church,

to come to prayer meetings.

And I'm talking here about people who are of the church,

people who themselves maybe at times are professing Christians.

Paul is actually writing these terms to Christians,

to people who know the Lord.

And yet it is to them that he's saying,

don't be drunk with wine, which is debauchery,

but be filled with the Spirit.

Be filled with the Spirit.

I was watching an episode of,

the other night of Captain Mannering and his soldiers in Dad's army.

And it's not at all to introduce anything that's funny,

but it so happened that he had said he was going to be away for the day.

And in fact, he came back early.

And instead of being on parade,

the platoon had actually gone down to the pub to play darts with the wardens.

With the aeroate wardens.

So when he came back, of course there was no sign of him,

but a couple of them.

So he asked where they were and he was told.

And of course he just became enraged.

What on earth were they doing in the pub instead of being on parade?

And off he went to try and take them back.

And of course they refused initially to come back.

But he sat down and Sergeant Wilson on the other side of the table

in one of the aspects of the scene.

And he said to Sergeant Wilson,

I don't understand it.

I cannot understand why these men don't love to be on parade.

When I'm actually at my tea and my dinner,

when I come home from work and I sit down at the table

and I think of getting dressed with my uniform

and marching down the road to the hall where the parade is to be placed,

I feel a sense of excitement moving up inside me.

Of course, Wilson didn't think too much of that

because I suppose the reason they weren't too keen on the parade

was that it was led by the pompous Captain Mangering.

But the point is this.

What he said about himself is so applicable to ourselves as Christians.

When did I last myself feel a rising sense of excitement

at the thought of preaching the gospel,

at the thought of going to visit people in their need?

Did you feel a sense of rising excitement tonight

in order to come to the prayer meeting?

A sense of really being led into the thought

that would thrill your heart to meet with God in this building?

I know these things are hugely challenging,

but that's why they're in the Bible.

And we're living in times when people find it so easy

not to actually follow out the path that God has given us

in order to become robust and glowing Christians.

I'm not finding fault with anyone here tonight at all.

I'm speaking to myself as much as to anyone else

and to you at home as well as you take part in the service.

Well, this is our greatest need, friends.

It doesn't matter how much we've been on the road already.

It doesn't matter how experienced we may be

either in preaching or in witnessing to Christ.

But here is God saying to us tonight,

do not get drunk with wine for that is debauchery,

but be filled with the Spirit.

What does he mean?

Why is he saying this?

And if we're convinced of this,

are we attending to all that's involved in it?

If we're convinced that this is our greatest need,

and really it shouldn't take us long to reach that conclusion,

because the Bible makes it clear to us

that it is the Spirit alone that quickens.

It's the Spirit alone that changes people.

It's the Spirit alone that brings life and vigor

to the people of God themselves.

And we should, of course, notice here

that what Paul is saying is something that needs to go on

as our Christian life develops.

He's not saying,

be filled with the Spirit today,

and that'll just last you.

No, he's saying,

be filled with the Spirit.

This is a continuing thing.

This is something they need to look for every day,

something they need to actually seek

from God every day.

So, if we look at verse 18,

that should feed into our prayers

for ourselves,

for the cause of God,

for the congregation,

for the unconverted,

for the young folks,

for the community around us,

for those in authority.

It doesn't matter where it is,

but if we are filled with the Spirit,

all will be encompassed

within what we're seeking from God.

And so there are two things

that the verse actually contains for us.

There are other things as well,

but we'll confine it to two things.

First of all,

Paul is bringing the Ephesians

a reminder of a great change.

A reminder of a great change.

Why did Paul include this reference

to being drunk with wine?

What's it doing in the text?

Is it not a little bit strange

that he would speak of such a thing

and then side by side with that

put being filled with the Spirit?

Why is Paul actually referring at all

to being drunk with wine

and then placing that

alongside a reference for the need

for us to be filled with the Spirit?

Well, as we say,

it's a reminder of a great change

because it's reminding the Ephesians,

I think, from this,

that the great change

that has taken place in their lives

when the Lord took them out

of their previous habits

and lifestyle involved

bringing them to be freed from

and saved from the debauchery,

including drunken orgies

that they were actually involved with.

It was the cult of the idol Dionysus

was something that people of Ephesus

and the Greek world of the time

gave a lot of time to.

And Dionysus was the god of wine.

And to follow Dionysus

or to worship, as it were, Dionysus

involved being involved in drunken orgies.

That's why the reference to wine

is so relevant

and why you're saying to them,

that's what you've left behind.

That's what you've been rescued from.

That's what God now wants you

to actually put behind you.

It's a great contrast

with the life that they had.

And it's not just a contrast,

but it's a total contrast.

And you can see how he picks that up

in chapter 4

at verse 20 there

where he's talking about

how different they are now

to the way the Gentiles walked

in the futility and darkness

of their mind.

They've become callous.

They've given themselves up to sensuality.

And of course,

that's what the Ephesians were.

But that is not the way

you learned Christ,

assuming that you have heard about him

and were taught in him

as the truth is in Jesus.

And in chapter 2,

verses 1 to 5,

of course, he brings out

how they once were,

the children of wrath,

just as others,

following the prince

of the power of the air,

following the way

of the course of this world.

But God, being rich in mercy

because of the great love

with which he loved us,

even when we were dead

in our trespasses,

made us alive together with Christ.

All the way through here

in the epistle,

you find a reminder given,

and this verse 2 in chapter 5

is a reminder

that this was what once characterized

their lives,

this kind of lifestyle

was what they lived for

and lived in.

Now Paul is reminding them

that is no longer the case.

Be no longer drunk with wine.

You're no longer following

Dionysus

or any other idol

in the ways of the world.

And in fact,

that's something that the apostles,

Peter included,

set before the people

in their preaching,

in their epistles as well.

You remember Peter

in 1 Peter chapter 4.

1 Peter 4 · chapter mention

Again, similar to Paul here,

just to show that this was common

to the preaching of the apostles

for the time in which they lived,

for the church of the time,

just as it must be for ourselves.

He says here,

1 Peter 4 verses 3 to 4,

1 Peter 4:3–4

the time that is past

is sufficient for doing

what the Gentiles want to do,

living in sensuality,

passions,

drunkenness,

orgies,

drinking parties,

lawless idolatry.

With respect to this,

they are surprised

when you do not join them

in the same flood of debauchery

and they malign you.

They speak shamefully of you.

So it's a reminder

of a great change.

And whenever we think of ourselves,

our conversion is a great change.

It's a reminder

of what God has done

to bring us into

a living relationship

with himself.

But the second thing

I want to emphasize more

or deal with more fully,

not only is it a reminder

of a great change,

it's also an illustration

of a spirit-filled life.

The way that he puts things

in this verse

is an illustration

of a spirit-filled life.

It's interesting the words

that Paul actually uses here,

especially the word drunk

and the word debauchery.

Do not be drunk with wine.

The word drunk literally,

in that usage of it,

has the idea of being soaked

in the treatment of skins,

for example,

animal skins.

In those days,

in order to stretch them out

and make them supple,

they used to soak them

for a while.

Then they could actually

handle them more.

So the soaking,

or something that's soaked

into the skin

in the liquid

that it was soaked in.

And so there's that idea

of being soaked.

But this word debauchery,

don't be soaked with wine,

don't be drunk with wine.

The word debauchery

is probably not the best

translation here in the ESV.

The authorized version,

you recall,

maybe has the word excess.

Don't be drunk with wine,

wherein is excess.

And there's an interesting way

in which we can follow that word

in the way it's used in Scripture.

For example,

in Luke's Gospel,

chapter 15,

you find the account

of the prodigal son.

And the prodigal son,

in verse 13,

we're told that he'd left home,

he took the goods

that were falling to him,

and then he wasted his life

in this debauchery.

He wasted his life

just flittered it away

recklessly.

And reckless living,

I think is how the ESV puts it.

He wasted his life.

And nobody,

when he went away,

took his journey

into a far country,

he squandered his property

in reckless living.

That's the idea behind this word

in Ephesians as well.

It's reckless.

It's a squandering.

It's a wastage.

It's the opposite of saving something.

It's just being reckless

in giving it away

and spending it

unwisely and foolishly.

And so you could say,

this is really

what Paul means

in verse 18.

Don't be soaked with wine,

for that is just sheer wastage.

But be filled with the Spirit.

The opposite

to being soaked or drunk

with wine.

What are the implications of that?

What are the implications

of that for ourselves?

Now, nothing of what I'm saying at all

is indicative

of lack of sympathy

for those

who have problems

with alcohol

or with drug addiction.

Our heart goes out

to these people.

Davy here

shares with us

from time to time

the challenges

of working with that.

And we pray for them

as we pray for him.

Our heart goes out

and it's nothing to do

with a lack of sympathy.

But the Bible, nevertheless,

is clear

that this is something

that is very wrong

in human life.

And they need

all the help they can,

but the Bible brings

the spiritual dimension

to it

as well as

the physical or mental.

And the three things

that follow on

from what we said already

from the words

that Paul used

as an illustration

of the Christian life,

as an illustration

of the Spirit-filled life,

there are three things

that we can focus on.

First of all,

self-control,

a word that Paul uses

elsewhere

in his epistles frequently.

Secondly,

stewardship,

looking after things,

looking after oneself.

And thirdly,

stimulation.

And these three things

come into

the contrast,

if you like,

and the comparison

that Paul is making

between being drunk

with wine

and being filled

with the Spirit.

There is a comparison

as well as a contrast,

though most of it

is to do with contrast.

Firstly,

self-control.

Now you remember

the list that we have

in Galatians chapter 5,

Galatians 5 · chapter mention

which Paul refers to

as the fruit

of the Spirit.

Galatians chapter 5

Galatians 5 · chapter mention

and verse 23.

The works of the flesh,

he says before that,

are evident.

Sexual immorality,

impurity,

sensuality,

and so on,

he gives us that list.

Drunkenness is one of them,

orgies,

and these things,

like these.

But the fruit of the Spirit

is love,

joy,

peace,

patience,

kindness,

goodness,

gentleness,

self-control.

That's one of the lists

of the fruit of the Spirit,

of the elements

that make up

the total fruit

of the Spirit

in that passage.

And that self-control

is exactly the same thing

you find Paul saying

to Timothy as well,

where he's giving him

advice as he's going

to carry on

with the work

of the Gospel

when Paul has gone

from the scene of time.

2 Timothy chapter 1,

2 Timothy 1:7

verse 7,

this is what he says.

For this reason,

he says,

I remind you

to fan into flame

the gift of God

which is in you

through the laying on

of my hands.

For God gave us

a spirit not of fear,

but of power

and love

and self-control.

Power and love

and self-control.

This is the contrast.

Be not drunk with wine

which is wastage,

which is debauchery,

but be filled

with a spirit.

When a person is drunk,

when a person is under

the influence

of alcohol,

whether it's wine

or spirits

or drugs

have a similar

kind of effect,

I'm sure,

but when a person

is drinking

under the influence

of excessive drink,

I mean,

one of the things

that's obvious

from that

is a lack of control.

Because the more

a person gets drunk,

the less control

that person has.

They lose control

of the mind,

lose control

of the body

or certain functions

of the body.

Control of movement,

control of moods,

control of emotions.

All of that

are affected

so drastically,

all of these

by being drunk

by the effect

of excessive alcohol.

Sadly,

of course,

as you well know,

many people

lose their lives

through excess

use of alcohol,

not just on themselves,

but in road accidents.

We hear of that

every day.

The devastating effects

of excessive drinking.

But,

here is Paul saying,

instead of

that kind of lifestyle,

and it's not just

actually being drunk,

it's the kind of thing

where you lose control,

whatever reason it is,

instead of being

filled with the Spirit.

Don't be drunk,

don't be,

don't lose your self-control,

instead be filled

with the Spirit.

Be under the order

that the Spirit

brings into your life.

Be under the control

that the Spirit brings

as the Spirit

comes into your life.

Be under the direction

of the Spirit.

Be under the power

of the Spirit

to take you away

from the things

that otherwise

you would be led by

and led into.

So,

that's the first thing,

the self-control element

of being filled

with the Spirit.

The second thing

is stewardship.

Again,

go back in your mind

to the prodigal son

in Luke chapter 15,

Luke 15 · chapter mention

and where it says

that he squandered

his living,

squandered his property

recklessly.

The same word

as we see here

in Ephesians 5.18.

Now,

that's another thing

that makes

a big difference

between the person

that is addicted

to alcohol,

especially regularly

loses control,

but also comes

to have so much wastage.

One of the really

sad things

about the grip

of alcohol

or drugs

is the sheer wastage

that's involved

in that person's life

and in the life

of their family as well,

a waste of energy

and a waste of time

and a waste of money

and a waste of opportunities

and a waste of relationships

and all of that stuff

comes into it.

But here is Paul

drawing the contrast

as well as making

the comparison.

Don't be

drunk with wine.

Don't be under

the control

or influence

of alcohol.

Instead,

be controlled

by the Spirit

and be under

the stewardship

of the Spirit

because the wastage

and the opposite

of the wastage

that you have

in being drunk,

the opposite of that

is a life

which saves,

which cares for things

and cares for people.

You look after

what you gain

when you come

to know Christ,

what Jesus gives you

to enjoy,

what Jesus gives you

to share out.

You don't waste it.

You don't set about it

carelessly.

You look at it

in such a way

as saying,

this is the most precious

thing that I've got.

I've got to look

after this.

I've got to look

after myself.

I've got to look

after my well-being.

I've got to look

after my mind.

I've got to look

after my fellow

human beings,

my family.

Everything's to do

with saving,

with looking after,

with conserving,

not with wastage.

That's the Christian

for you.

That's the difference

between the Christian

and the person

that is just

the sheer worldly person.

Don't,

on the one hand,

be this,

on the other hand,

but be filled

with the Spirit.

How do we live

a self-controlled life?

Well,

not by our own ability.

It's not something

that we manufacture.

It's something

that comes from

being filled

with the Spirit.

How do we actually

have the stewardship

that looks after

ourselves and other

things properly,

that looks after

the life that God

has placed in us

in his salvation

by the Holy Spirit?

It's by being filled

with the Spirit.

in 2 Peter,

again,

we have something

that's very close

to that,

2 Peter 1,

2 Peter 1:5–8

verses 5-8.

You find

the apostle there

saying,

for this very reason,

make every effort

to supplement

your faith

or to add

to your faith

virtue,

virtue with knowledge,

knowledge with

self-control.

There it is again,

self-control

with steadfastness,

steadfastness

with godliness,

godliness

with brotherly affection,

brotherly affection

with love.

For if these qualities

are huge and increasing,

they keep you

from being ineffective

or unfruitful

in the knowledge

of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What is Peter saying?

Peter is saying

the Christian life

is about additions,

not subtraction.

It's about keeping,

it's about conserving,

it's about making sure

you look after

what God has given you,

whether it's

the working of your faith,

your prayer life,

your reading of the Bible,

your relationship

with others,

your attendance

at church,

all of the things

that he has given you,

you add to them

and you keep on

seeking that they

be increased for you.

Why?

So that you will not

be unfruitful

in the knowledge

of God.

That's a huge challenge

to myself,

to yourselves

tonight,

isn't it?

But this is the way

that the Bible argues,

the Bible reasons

with us,

the way that Paul

is here setting out

a life of growth

rather than wastage,

a life of conserving

and looking after

rather than just

spreading things out

wastefully.

So there's self-control,

there's secondly,

stewardship,

and thirdly,

there's stimulation.

If you think about

alcohol abuse,

and again,

I'm going to stress

that we're actually

very mindful

of those who have

problems with alcohol.

We don't want to

in any way

speak in such a way

that would

give the impression

that somehow

we're just there

to criticize

and to condemn.

It's not what

we're about.

But

you know very well

that alcohol

is not a stimulant.

Some people make

a mistake about this.

they think,

if I want a good time,

I'm going to have

to grab myself

plenty of alcohol

for Friday night

or for Saturday

or whenever it is.

And of course,

that's what the

glossy adverts

actually set out

for you.

The glossy adverts

don't take you

behind the scenes

to the many people

that have problems

of addiction.

Yes,

there's a little

warning perhaps

somewhere in the advert

or on the bottle

or on the pack,

but mostly

they're very small

compared to the

glossy,

wonderful

atmosphere

or environment

that's projected

in the adversity.

Have a good time.

Go down to the beach.

Take plenty of booze

with you.

Take your pals.

Live it up.

That's your stimulant.

It's not a stimulant at all.

Alcohol

is a depressant.

It gets to the points

of your mind

that are most important

and instead of stimulation

it's depression.

It comes to actually

affect them

in such a way

that they don't function

the way they should.

And so what Paul

is saying is

instead of that

here is something

that stimulates

the filling

of the spirit

the opposite

of the effects

of being drunk

the effects

of alcohol

excessively

it's

the spirit

of God

stimulates.

What is it

that lifts

our hearts?

What is it

that lifts

our mind?

What is it

that brings us

to think positively

of such things

as the children's

education

their well-being

their safety

all of those things?

Where do we really

find our hearts

being lifted up

to consider

these things

in the magnitude

that we should?

It's from the

filling of the spirit.

You see that

for example

when

the reformation

took place

in Scotland

under the

leadership of

Knox

and his

companions

one of the

things they

set about

doing

with conviction

was to have

a school

in every parish

in the kingdom.

They were people

under the direction

of the spirit.

They were filled

with the spirit.

They were seeking

that the spirit

as he guided them

would actually

bring about

what they were

praying for.

And one of the

things they were

praying for

and seeking

practically to bring

about was a

school in every

parish.

Why?

So that the

children of the

land could be

educated.

Not just in the

things of the

Bible though that

was centrally

important but in

other aspects of

education.

Isn't that really

where our

education system

came from?

It didn't come

from atheism.

It didn't come

from debauchery.

It didn't come

from any of the

things that you

find so much

commended

nowadays.

It came from

Christians.

It came from

the people of

God.

It came from

the movement

of the spirit.

It came from

the spirit

coming to

fill people,

to bring the

conviction,

to bring the

concern,

to bring the

energy by which

they set about

these things.

Whether it was

medical care,

hospitals,

or education,

all of these

things,

ultimately,

they came from

this.

And you can

include the

joy of salvation

in that as

well.

Because the

joy that we

experience in

knowing Christ

and following

Christ is

itself related

so closely to

the working of

the spirit of

God, to being

filled with the

spirit.

There are so

many other

aspects of this

that we could

spend time on.

We might indeed

come back to it,

God willing,

if God brings us

to think of that,

to give us that

direction of the

spirit as we're

saying, because

there's so much

to this.

And indeed, I

think I would

like to take

some time to

just look at

different aspects

of the ministry

of the Holy

Spirit, not

just at our

prayer marriage,

but on the

Lord's Day as

well.

That would

certainly be

very profitable

for us.

But for the

moment, let's

think of this

in conclusion.

The stimulation

that comes from

the filling of

the spirit,

the stimulation

that brings

such things

as joy

and rejoicing,

even in times

of sorrow

and times

of trial

and times

of difficulty.

I know it's

easy to say

these things

from pulpits,

but it's

something I've

experienced myself,

so I can say

it's true,

that even in

the midst of

trials and

things that

really wrench

your heart

and wring it

out in pain,

you still,

by God's grace

and God's

goodness,

can experience

the joy

of being

a Christian,

the satisfaction

of knowing

God,

and the

contrast

between you

and those

who don't

have that,

or your

heart goes

out to

them.

You express

your thankfulness

and say,

Lord,

I'm thankful,

I experience

even this

ingredient of

joy,

it is a

testimony to

me that

you're in

my life.

And so,

be filled

with the

Spirit.

And in

conclusion,

do notice,

friends,

that this

tonight is

an imperative.

He's not

saying,

if you think

it's a good

idea,

be filled

with the

Spirit.

He's actually

saying,

in the way

of an

imperative,

which is

really the

same thing

as a

command,

do not

get drunk

with wine,

for that's

debauchery,

but be

filled with

the Spirit.

It's

something

for which

we are

responsible.

Now,

we cannot

manufacture

the filling

of the

Spirit.

We can't

produce the

filling of

the Spirit.

We can't

control the

Spirit so

that we

ourselves can

bring it

about when

we're filled

or when

we're not.

But it's

our responsibility

to see to

this filling.

He is

addressing them

in such a

way as

saying,

be filled

with the

Spirit.

it.

And so

it is

for you

and for

me tonight,

for us as

a congregation,

for us as

a group of

Christian people.

We can't

produce the

filling,

but we

can pray

for it.

And we

must pray

for it.

And we

must seek

it.

Because it

is,

very much,

the only

thing to

help us

in our

day,

in our

circumstances,

in the

need for

further

conversions,

for our

increase in

holiness for

ourselves,

in every

other aspect

that you

might think

of in

your own

life,

and in

the

congregation's

life,

and in

your

relationship

with the

world.

The key

is the

filling of

the Spirit.

And without

that,

we're

impotent,

we're weak.

we're at

the mercy

of the

world,

to a

great

extent,

but filled

with the

Spirit.

Well,

God is

saying,

filled with

the Spirit,

watch this

space.

Because that's

where life

is.

That's where

energy is.

That's where

results come

from.

Don't be

drunk with

wine,

which is

excess,

which is

wastage,

but be

filled with

the Spirit.

Now,

there's a

challenge for

me as

the minister

tonight.

And there's

a challenge

for yourselves

as Christians

in the

congregation.

There's a

challenge for

the whole

congregation,

indeed,

especially for

those who

profess the

Lord,

to seek

to be

filled with

the Spirit

and to

take it to

God until

He fills

us,

realizing

that without

His filling,

we are far

short of what

we need to

be as

witnesses to

Him.

May He

bless these

thoughts on

His word to

us.

Let's

him.

He

Thank you.

耳

Praise

God.

Là it's

another

감

year.

Er

Bud