March 1st, 2015

Children, K through 5th grade, you are now dismissed.

You're going to learn about God's promise to Abraham

and how he fulfilled that with the marriage of Jacob.

Would you open up your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 5,

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

18 through 21, and I'm just going to read that for us now.

It's the same passage we looked at last week.

Ephesians chapter 5, verses 18 through 21.

Ephesians 5:18–21

This is the word of God.

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery,

but be filled with the Spirit,

addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,

singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart,

giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

What will happen when God pours out His Spirit upon us?

What happens?

What will happen to us?

What will we experience?

If God were to fill us by His Spirit again and again and again,

what happens to a church?

That's what we read right here.

We read what happens to a church.

Last Sunday, I spent a good chunk of our time together

explaining why God prohibits drinking,

getting drunk in particular,

and how that ultimately leads to debauchery.

And I try to paint a couple pictures of the debauched life.

The prodigal son ended up eating with swine.

A Jeep bottomed out, axle stuck in a mud bog,

engine roaring, wheels spinning, mud flying,

but going nowhere, just getting deeper.

If anything, a Jeep stuck like that just gets more and more stuck.

Before we became Christians,

we lived a debauched life, many of us in this room.

We were stuck.

We were lovers of pleasure, hedonists.

Stuck.

Couldn't get ourselves out.

There's another kind of getting stuck.

It's not a hedonist, it's a legalist.

Someone who is a lover of rules and loves to enforce rules.

You weren't stuck in the mire of pleasure.

You were stuck in the mire of self-righteousness.

What turns out to be a very pure mud,

a very clean mud.

But you were stuck nonetheless.

The point is that before we became Christians,

all of us were stuck.

Whether it was the mire of a pleasure debauchery

or the mire of a self-righteous legalism.

But praise be to God.

He didn't leave us there.

For those of us who called on the name of Jesus.

God sent Jesus for us

and He pulled us out of the mire of our own making.

And He radically changed us.

The cross has changed everything in our lives.

God has called us to a new way of living.

We were wretches and He made us His treasure.

We were dead and He made us alive.

All by His grace.

And now God says,

walk, live your lives in a manner worthy of the calling

with which I've called you to.

In Ephesians 5, 1 He says,

be imitators of God.

In 5, 2 He says,

hey, walk like Christ.

Walk in love.

Live upward for the glory of God.

Sacrifice to Him.

And outward, give yourself for others.

Walk in love.

He goes on to say,

walk as children of light.

No longer participating in the unfruitful deeds of darkness.

But now we expose them.

We are the light of the Lord.

He goes on to say,

look carefully how you walk,

not as unwise, but as wise.

And then He says, how?

Making the most of the time.

Understanding the will of the Lord.

And we know from Ephesians,

the will of the Lord is this wonderful,

glorious plan of redemption.

It's an eternal plan.

God uniting all things in Christ,

including us.

We live our lives in light of that now.

Sounds great.

Sign me up.

Where do I sign?

This morning I want to ask the question,

not of where you sign,

but how does that happen?

How does a Christian live like that?

Where does that power come from?

How do you live a life of Christ-like holiness?

We live for Christ

by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We live for Christ.

We live for Christ

by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is present with us

to strengthen us

to live for Christ.

It's by His might

we walk in a manner worthy of our Lord.

The Holy Spirit is an ongoing,

empowering presence

in the life of a Christian

that results in the praise of Christ.

How do we live for Christ?

We live by the power of the Holy Spirit.

And so this morning,

what I want you to see

from Ephesians 5, 18-21

are two things.

We're going to focus on the command,

be filled by the Spirit.

And I want you to understand

what it means

to be filled by the Spirit.

And then the second thing

we're going to look at this morning

is the effects

of being filled by the Spirit.

When the Spirit fills His people,

He gets stuff done.

Things happen.

And we're going to see that

right out of our text.

So, first thing.

The command.

Be filled by the Spirit.

Ephesians 5, 18.

And do not get drunk with wine,

for that's debauchery,

a giant waste of time,

talent, and treasure.

But be filled with the Spirit.

And that results

in something wonderful.

There's four things

I want to point out to you

as we look at this command.

I want you to see

how the Spirit of God

is present in His people.

We're going to see

that He's personally present,

that He's purposefully present,

that He's powerfully present,

and that He is perpetually present

in the life of a believer.

You want to dig in?

The Holy Spirit is personally present.

In the Gospel of John,

in chapters 14, 15, and 16,

Jesus refers to the person

of the Holy Spirit

with a very interesting name.

He refers to Him in English

as the helper,

or some of your versions might say

advocate,

counselor.

And when Jesus talks

about the Holy Spirit this way,

He talks about the Holy Spirit

not as an it,

not the helper as an it,

the helper as a who,

the helper as a he.

Remember,

the Holy Spirit's not an it,

He is a who,

and He's not just any who,

He is the third person

of the Trinity.

He's the divine who.

He is the third person

of the Trinity.

He's distinct,

yet fully God.

So this Greek word for helper

is the Greek word paraclete,

not parakeet.

Paraclete.

And here's what that means.

It literally means

one who is called alongside

to help.

One who is called alongside

to help.

And so when Jesus in John 14,

15, and 16

is talking about the Holy Spirit,

He's talking about the helper,

and He's referring to Him,

this one who I will send,

who will come alongside

and help you,

He's going to do something.

It carries a double sense

of presence,

immediacy,

as well as aid,

strengthening.

strengthening.

The paraclete,

the Holy Spirit,

is present

in order to

strengthen.

I have befriended

a neighbor of mine

who is a personal trainer.

And the first time I met him,

it's a very funny story,

I will save it.

But a personal trainer

makes their living

by being personally present

in someone's life

to help transform them.

to help them lose some weight,

to gain some muscle mass,

to be fit.

Think of the Holy Spirit

as the ultimate

personal trainer.

Not just for individual Christians,

but for entire churches.

The Holy Spirit is seeking

to be present in our lives

to help us,

strengthen us,

to follow Christ,

to obey Him,

and be like Him.

Jesus sent Him

to be present with us.

And when we first

became Christians,

we learned from Romans 8

and Ephesians 2

that the Holy Spirit

indwelt us.

He came to reside in us.

And so when we talk about

being filled by the Spirit,

we're not talking about

the Holy Spirit

coming back into us

again and again and again.

It's more like this.

The Spirit who's already in us

is saying,

I'm here!

I'm here!

And I've got something to do.

And when we're filled

by the Spirit,

the Spirit is letting us know

He's there.

And it has an effect.

There's a very significant purpose

to His presence in us.

I just want to help you see

that He's actually present with us.

Jesus has sent Him to us.

He is with us.

And He's a person.

He's the paraclete.

He's personally present

and He's purposefully present.

I pointed you last week

to Ephesians chapter 3

Ephesians 3 · chapter mention

and I tried to make the case

that the Holy Spirit

is desirous to fill us

with the fullness of God.

Do you remember?

The Apostle Paul prays

for these Christians in Ephesus.

Remember what he prays?

He prays that they would be strengthened

with power

through the Holy Spirit.

So that,

verse 17,

Christ may dwell

in their hearts

by faith.

And it amounts to,

in verse 19,

being filled with the fullness

of God.

God.

The Holy Spirit's

God of purpose.

He empowers us

in such a way

that Christ dwells

in our hearts

by faith.

Here's what it's getting at.

The Holy Spirit

who's present with us,

He's present with us

to make us aware

of Christ's presence.

Christ's dwelling in us.

That's what the Apostle prays

for these Christians.

Paul is praying

that the Holy Spirit

would make known

His powerful presence

for the purpose

of these Christians

and us

being aware of Christ.

Last week,

I pointed you

to John 16, 14.

And this is, again,

that passage where

Jesus is talking about

the paraclete.

And Jesus says,

in 16, 14,

He will glorify me.

When I send Him to you,

He,

the Helper,

will glorify me.

He will be with you

to strengthen you,

to spotlight me,

to make much of me.

And so,

the Spirit of God

is present personally

with us

for a purpose.

To spotlight Jesus

in our midst.

To make much of Christ

that we would become aware

of Christ in our midst,

dwelling among us.

I want to help you

see something.

In that passage

in Ephesians 3,

you can't help but realize

when you're reading

through it

that Paul is praying

that these Christians

would actually experience

the presence of Christ

through the power

of the Spirit.

He wants them

to know.

He wants them

to experience

the reality

of God's

multi-dimensional love

for them in Christ.

And so,

here's what I want you

to see in terms

of the Helper.

The Holy Spirit

is not just trying

to convince us

that these things

are true.

The Holy Spirit

is seeking

to help us

see the reality

of them.

For us to experience

the reality

of Christ.

The reality

of His love

for us.

The Holy Spirit

is the divine

realizer.

He makes Christ

real to us.

He makes His Word

real to us.

Even,

He makes our sin

real to us.

He brings it home.

The Holy Spirit

is personally present

and He is purposefully present

looking to

make Christ

real to us.

And the Holy Spirit

is powerfully present.

He's powerful.

When He fills us,

when He makes

His presence

known to us,

we'll actually

be made aware

of Christ.

But when He comes

and fills us afresh,

you know

what's going to happen?

In His power,

He's going to make us

holy.

He's going to

conform us

to the image

of Jesus.

Jesus is the aim.

He has what

we need

to be made

like Christ.

He's going to

unite us.

He has what

we need

not only to make us

holy,

but to unite us,

to one-ify us.

To make us

one body

under our

one head,

Jesus.

And the Holy Spirit

is also with us

powerfully

to enable

our witness.

if you were

to read

through the

Gospel of Luke

and the

book of Acts,

what you will

read over and

over and over

again,

is this

filling by

the Spirit

of God

on His people

and they

proclaim.

They make

known

Christ.

They can't

help but

speak of Him

to non-Christians.

The Holy Spirit

emboldens

our witness.

He gives us

power to

proclaim

the Holy Spirit

is present

personally,

purposefully,

powerfully,

and perpetually.

The verb

to be filled

in Ephesians 5.18

actually means

to be

ongoingly

and repeatedly

filled with

the fullness

of God

by the Spirit

of God.

That's what

He's getting at.

And what's

clear from

the verb

itself is

we don't

do the

filling.

We don't

fill ourselves

with the

fullness of

God.

That's what

the Holy Spirit

does.

He fills

us with

the fullness

of God.

And what that

means is this.

We are being

commanded,

exhorted in

Ephesians 5.18

to be

acted

upon,

to be

moved

upon,

to be

moved

upon

by the

Holy Spirit.

That's

what Paul

is saying.

Don't get

drunk with

wine that

leads to

debauchery.

Don't be

influenced

by booze

like that.

Be

influenced

by the

Holy Spirit.

Come

under

His

sway.

Come

under

His

perpetual

powerful

presence.

Do you

know what

this amounts

to?

This

amounts

to a

call

to

dependence

on the

Spirit.

we are

being

commanded

here to

over and

over and

over again

be filled

by the

Spirit.

Be filled

by the

Spirit.

Do you

know why

He's

commanding

it that

way?

Because

we need

the Spirit

over and

over and

over again.

He alone

has what

we need

in order

to walk

with Jesus

faithfully.

And so

therefore we

need Him

day after

day after

day.

We need

the Spirit

present in

our lives

bringing

about a

power to

walk and

follow Jesus.

We see

that ongoing

dependence

played out

in other

spots.

Romans 12

1 and 2

there's a

command to

offer

yourselves

as a

living

sacrifice

to God

over and

over and

over and

over again.

To offer

yourself

repeatedly

to God.

In

Galatians 5

we're

commanded to

walk by

the Spirit

and that

is a

continual

command.

We're to

walk and

walk and

walk and

walk.

Independence

on the

Spirit.

We're to

be led

by the

Spirit.

Romans 8

again and

again and

again.

We are

dependent on

the Spirit.

John 15

Jesus is

divine.

We are the

branches and

the Holy

Spirit empowers

us through

abiding in

Jesus.

Jesus.

We have an

ongoing need

to be for

the Holy

Spirit's

empowering

presence.

Filling

after filling

the Holy

Spirit making

himself known

to us by

aiming us

at Christ.

We cannot

supply for

ourselves what

only the

Spirit can.

We need

Him.

The Holy

Spirit is not

optional.

We depend

on Him.

He's present

with us.

Jesus.

Remember the

quote I read

last week.

With the

indwelling of

the Spirit at

the moment of

conversion, each

Christian has

all of the

Spirit.

But the

command to be

filled by the

Spirit enables

the Spirit to

have all of

the believer.

We are

offering ourselves

over and over

and over again to

the Spirit who

dwells in us

fully.

We're just

giving all of

ourselves to

Him over and

over and over

again.

Be filled by

the Spirit.

He is

perpetually

present.

The

paraclete

is

personally,

purposefully,

powerfully,

perpetually

present in

God's people to

point us to

the person of

Christ, the

Prince of

Peace.

Amen.

Here's what it

gets at.

The Christian

life, the

Christian walk,

walk in a

manner worthy

of the

calling to

which you've

been called,

is an

ongoing and

active dependence

upon the

empowering

presence of

the Holy

Spirit.

The Spirit

of God

actively

empowers

Christians to

live lives

that please

God.

So it begs

the question,

what do we

expect?

What should

we expect

from the

Spirit present

with us

with us

ongoingly?

What does

that look

like?

How does

that play

out?

And in

verses 19,

20, and

21, we

see the

Spirit-filled

life of a

church.

When the

Spirit fills

a people of

God, it

has a

Christ-exalting

effect.

So we've

looked at

point one

with the

presence of

the Holy

Spirit.

We need

Him.

Two,

point to

the corporate

effects of

being filled

by the

Spirit.

Spirit

effects.

There's four

of them.

When the

Spirit fills

His people,

God's people

address one

another in a

certain way.

They speak to

each other in

a certain way.

Spirit effect

number two.

When the

Spirit of

God fills

His people,

God's people

sing and

make melody

in their

heart to

the Lord.

When the

Spirit of

God fills

His people,

effect number

three, God's

people give

thanks to

God all the

time for

everything.

When God's

Spirit fills

His people,

effect number

four, God's

people submit

to one another

out of reverence

for Christ.

Let's unpack

these a little

bit.

Hey, can I

just say this?

Being filled

by the

Spirit is

not some

kind of

carnival

sideshow of

bizarre

behavior.

It is

building the

church.

It's uniting

us together.

Do you know

how?

Do you know

what to look

for to know

that if the

Spirit is moving

in a church,

is Christ

being exalted?

God's

wanted to

be

wanted to

be

wanted to

be

so when the

Holy Spirit

fills us,

look at this

first effect.

We address one

another in a

certain way.

19a, the

first half of

19.

Addressing one

another in

psalms and hymns

and spiritual

songs.

Hey, when we're

filled by the

Spirit, we don't

trash talk each

other.

We don't

trash talk each

other.

We don't tear

each other down

with our

speech.

That actually,

Ephesians 4.30,

grieves the

Holy Spirit.

That's

counterproductive

to what the

Spirit is seeking

to do in us.

That's resisting

the Spirit.

What we do

do, though,

is we speak

words that

are intended

to build

up.

And notice

the content

of these

Spirit-filled

speakings.

Psalms, hymns,

spiritual psalms,

songs.

This is not

some kind of

apostolic

limitation saying

you can only

speak to each

other this way

when you're

filled by the

Spirit.

It's more like

examples.

Hey, expect

this.

Psalms, hymns,

spiritual songs,

Bible,

Scripture,

being spoken

to one another.

You need to

realize what

the Psalms,

hymns,

spiritual songs

have in common.

They're different

ways of

communicating truth

about God

to build

somebody up

for the

glory of

Christ.

That's what

they are.

That's what

they all have

in common.

They're building

up words.

They're truthful

words.

When the

Spirit of God

fills us,

we speak out

of an overflow

of the fullness

of God's

presence in

our heart,

and it ends

up building

people up.

It's edifying

speech.

Colossians is a

parallel book

to Ephesians.

Colossians 3.16

is very much

paralleled with

this passage

we're in right

now.

This is what

Paul says to

the Colossians.

He writes,

let the word of

Christ dwell in

you richly.

Let the word of

Christ dwell in

you richly.

Be filled with

the Spirit.

Let the word of

Christ dwell in

you richly.

When we're filled

by the Spirit,

we speak psalms,

hymns,

spiritual songs.

We speak Bible

to one another,

ultimately with the

aim to Jesus so

that we're built

up.

Isn't that good?

It's not rocket

science.

It's not

mysterious.

Where does it

all begin?

It begins in

private.

Morning after

morning, we

open our Bibles

and we call out

to God.

We say things

like, oh God,

meet me in your

word today.

You have your

Bible open.

I had my Bible

open this morning,

Psalm 61.

One.

Spirit of God,

impress these

words upon my

heart.

Make these

words, your

words, my

words, God.

Press them in

to me, God.

Make them real

to me, God.

I can't live

by food alone.

I need your

word, God.

God.

When individual

members of a

church

personally seek

God like this,

they open up

their Bibles in

their prayer

closets and

they cry out,

oh God,

impress your

word upon me.

You know what?

They are

positioning

themselves to

be used by

God later on

to address

others with a

timely word.

Did you notice

the addressing

one another?

The context of

all this stuff is

in a corporate

gathering.

The church

together,

we're to

address one

another with

these kinds of

words and the

intended effect is

to build up

the body.

This can play

out in a variety

of ways.

You're talking

with somebody

one-on-one.

I read this

great psalm.

I think it

might encourage

you.

During a family

devotion, one of

the ways that we

do our family

devotions is I

have my devotions

in the morning

and I call it

the king penguin

technique.

I read my

Bible and I'm

kind of digesting

this myself and

I gather around

our table and I

kind of puke up

a little kind of

processed Bible

meditation for my

kids.

It's very

nutritious, trust

me.

This happens

in small groups.

This happens on

ministry teams.

And it happens on

a Sunday morning.

Many of you were

here last week.

I'm not sure if you

realize what

happened.

A dear sister came

down to me.

By the way, I

talked to her this

morning and this is

okay to share with

you all.

Well, a dear sister

came down to me

during the service

and she very humbly

asked if she could

share a passage,

Revelation chapter

five, share it

with the church.

I was really

encouraged that she

would just take that

step of faith and

come down.

God had impressed

something on her

during our first

song together.

And her sense was

God wants me to

share this with the

church.

church.

Now typically, just

to make you aware,

when a person

approaches me seeking

to share something on

a Sunday morning, I'm

exercising discernment.

I'm asking some

questions.

Do I know this

person?

Are they a believer?

Does their heart seem

right in this?

What do they want to

share?

Will it edify?

Is it timely?

Yes, yes, and yes,

and yes, and yes.

Our sister read

Revelation five.

And I don't remember

it.

Do you remember

that?

It was sweet.

It was edifying.

It was all about

Jesus.

And right in the

middle of Revelation

five is a spiritual

song.

About.

The lamb.

Brothers and

sisters.

Brothers, it

should be no

surprise to us that

the Holy Spirit, who's

actively present in

our midst, is seeking

to build us up this

way.

No surprise.

In fact, what I

would say is, we

want that.

We want that.

We want people to

share what God puts

on their hearts on

Sunday mornings using

this microphone right

here to build up his

people.

It's an active

ministry of the

Holy Spirit.

When one of us is

filled afresh by the

Spirit, they, through

the word, draw our

attention to Christ.

That's what happened

last week.

And it was sweet.

That's the first

effect.

The word of Christ

dwelling richly among

us.

Addressing one another

in Psalms, hymns, and

spiritual songs.

The second effect.

When we're filled by the

Spirit, when the Spirit

of God makes His

presence known in a

powerfully way, we

will sing and make

melody in our hearts

to the Lord, the Lord

being Jesus.

When we're filled by

the Spirit, we are

filled with the

fullness of God and

it will overflow into

a kind of singing.

Now, not everyone is

comfortable singing.

There can be reasons

for that.

I used to not like to

sing because my voice

is not the best voice.

my family will bear

testimony to that.

But Psalm 101 is what

I bank on.

Make a joyful noise

to the Lord.

There are other reasons

why people don't

necessarily feel

comfortable singing.

They didn't grow up

singing.

It's a foreign thing to

them.

It's like an

underdeveloped muscle.

But you know how you

strengthen a muscle?

You exercise it.

Brothers and sisters,

maybe you who are a

little reluctant to

sing, God made you

to sing.

He made you for it.

To sing His praises.

Lift up your voice.

And so when we do sing,

there's some things

that happen.

When we sing filled

by the Spirit,

it's a singing marked

by clarity of

understanding.

We're fully aware of

what we're singing.

We are singing glorious

and real truths back

to our great God.

And what also is true,

our singing is marked

by a fullness of

emotion.

not in emotionalism.

We're not singing in order

to have an emotional

experience.

That's not the goal.

The goal is to praise

God for who He is.

But it will be emotional.

It's okay to weep

while you sing.

Jesus is not embarrassed

by that.

It's okay to raise your

voice while we're singing

and say praise God.

Thank you Jesus.

We should be affected

by the truths

we are singing.

And it's classic

example of the Spirit

making things real

for us.

We can't help

but sing.

it's a singing

marked by fullness

of engagement.

Not just our emotions

but our bodies as well.

People lifting up

their hands.

Hey, if I'm willing

to lift up my hands

for the Ohio State

Buckeyes,

you better believe

I will lift up

my hands

for our glorious

God.

Let me read you

Psalm 63.

Just a little piece.

People have been

lifting up their hands

to the Lord

for a long time.

David,

O God,

you are my God.

Earnestly I seek you.

My soul thirsts for you.

My flesh faints for you

as in a dry and weary land

where there is no water.

So I have looked upon you

in the sanctuary

beholding your power

and glory

because your love

is better than life.

My lips will praise you.

So I will bless you

as long as I live.

In your name

I will lift up

my hands.

When lips aren't enough

we lift up our hands.

It's an overflow.

It's a fullness of joy.

Fullness of recognition

of what God has done for us.

And we give it back to Him.

When there's a fresh feeling

by the Spirit

it's not unusual

to have a correspondence

fullness of volume

as well.

We're singing from our toes.

Because God is awesome.

What joy there is in that.

When the Spirit

moves upon His people

God's people

sing from their hearts.

The third effect.

When the Spirit fills us

we're going to give thanks

to God.

When God fills us

freshly by His Spirit

there is a fullness.

We become aware

of God's manifold goodness

to us.

We give thanks

all the time

and for everything

because we realize

that all good things

come from our God.

Did you notice

in verse 19

or is it verse 20?

20.

Giving thanks always

and for everything

to God the Father

in the name of the Lord

Jesus Christ.

Why is that there?

Here's what it means.

We give thanks to God

in the name of the Lord

Jesus Christ

because we realize

everything

God is using everything

everything for our good.

Everything.

All the time.

Working for our good.

And when we realize that

and that's true

because we're in Christ

we give thanks

to God.

And if you're a Christian

you have always

got something

to be thankful for.

Let me put it this way.

No matter what time

during the day

no matter what circumstances

you're facing

where would you be

right then and there

without Jesus?

Where would you be?

I'm regularly reminded

of where I would be

and therefore

I regularly give thanks

for my wife

for my children

for this church

for my employment

for my health

for my friends

but most of all

what I give God

thanks for

is my salvation.

I was a wretch

and God made me

his treasure.

Do I have an amen?

Amen.

Here's the point.

The Spirit of God

stirs gratitude

in the hearts

of God's people

and gratitude

is given voice.

It's called

thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving

is the outworking

of grateful hearts

and it's a mark

of the Spirit

at work

in our midst.

Shows up in a variety

of ways.

We sing with grateful hearts.

We give thanks to God

together in prayer.

We give thanks to God

in informal conversations.

When the Spirit

fills His people

we're filled

with gratitude

for the goodness

of God

and so we give thanks

over and over

and over again.

The last effect.

Being filled

by the Spirit

leads to

submitting to one another

out of reverence

for Christ.

submitting to one another.

This word means

to voluntarily

set yourself

under others.

Did you note

the motive?

Out of reverence

for Christ.

I submit myself

to you

out of reverence

for Christ.

You submit yourself

to one another

out of reverence

for Christ.

At the heart

of this

is humility.

We consider

others

better

than ourselves.

Remember Paul

is addressing

a church here.

In the next passage

he's going to

actually work out

what submission

looks like

in marriage

and in parenting

and in the workplace.

But here he's talking

about in the church.

We submit to one another

out of reverence

for Christ.

Let me just give you

a picture of this.

If you want to

turn your Bibles

quickly to John 13

you'll remember this.

This is just before

Jesus

dies.

And during this supper

Jesus does

something that

his disciples

would never forget.

He took off

his outer robe

grab a towel

in a

wash basin

and he washed

his disciples'

feet.

Every one of them.

And then

at the end of that

he says this.

This is 13-12.

Do you understand

what I have done

to you?

You call me

teacher and Lord

and you are right

for so I am.

If I then

your Lord and teacher

have washed your feet

you also ought to

wash one another's feet.

For I have given you

an example that you

also should do

just as I have done

to you.

Truly, truly

I say to you

a servant

is no greater

than his master

nor is a messenger

greater than the one

who sent him.

If you know these things

blessed

are you

if you do them.

There is blessing

in submitting

to one another

out of reverence

for Christ.

It's the stuff

of unity.

unity.

It's the stuff

by which the Spirit

moves on a people

to preserve,

maintain the unity

of the Spirit

in the bond

of peace.

This is an outworking

of the Spirit's presence

in our life.

Let me close by this.

we've looked at

the presence

of the paraclete

ongoing presence

of the Holy Spirit

in our lives.

He wants to do

something in us.

He wants us

to have an effect.

He wants to do

something in our church

to build us up.

What all these

four effects

have in common

is it builds

up the body.

It unites us.

It strengthens us.

It aims us

at Jesus.

So here's how

I'd like to close.

I had some

diagnostic questions

but we're going

to skip them.

And we're just

going to go to this.

In Luke 11,

13,

Jesus says this.

Ask your Father

for the Holy Spirit.

If we who are evil

know how to give

good gifts,

how much more

will our Heavenly

Father give

the Holy Spirit

to those

who ask Him.

Would you join

with me

in asking our Father

to pour out

His Spirit

in greater and

greater measures

on our church

so that Christ

would be

exalted.

Let's turn

to that right now.

Let's pray.

прят

for the Holy Spirit

for the Holy Spirit

that Father