If you turn back to Ephesians
chapter five, verse 18, and be not drunk, intoxicated
with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the spirit. I've entitled this message, Be
Filled with the Spirit. Now what in the world does that
mean? I hope by the end of this message
we'll have some kind of understanding of this. Be filled with the spirit. is in the present tense, a little
grammar here, and I think it'll help us to understand this. Filled
is in the present tense. It's not something that happened
in the past. It's not something we look back
to. Be filled. And it's in the passive voice. You're not filling yourself.
Be filled. Literally, be being filled. Not you were filled, not you
fill yourself, but be being filled with the Spirit of God. This
is not a one-time event. It's the continual action of
the believer. It's not the action of the believer.
He's the subject of what God the Holy Spirit does. Be being
filled with the Spirit of God. Now, who is this Spirit of whom
Paul says, be not drunk with wine, but be filled with the
Spirit? He's speaking of the Spirit of
God. Now, this is unique to the gospel. It's beyond comprehension, can
only be believed, not understood, but believed. But God, the living
God, the one God, there's only one God. The one God is revealed
in three distinct persons. God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit, one God in three distinct persons. Now, do I understand that? No. Do I believe it? Yes, because
it's what the Bible reveals concerning God. Now, let me remind you,
the Bible is the Word of God. The Bible is the inspired Word
of God. And the only way we can know
the character of God, the only way we can know God, the only
way we can know what God is like is through this book called the
Bible. And the Bible reveals that God is one God in three
distinct persons. Now you remember when the Lord
was teaching us about baptism and he said, baptize when you're
baptized, baptize everyone in the name of the Father, of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, the three persons of the Godhead. Now, when Peter confronted Ananias
about his lie, he said, why have you lied to the Holy Ghost? You
can read this in Acts chapter five. Why have you lied to the
Holy Ghost? You've not lied unto men, but
unto God. God, the Holy Spirit. He's God, co-eternal, Co-equal
with God the Father and God the Son, God is one God revealed
in three distinct persons. God the Holy Spirit is not a
force. He's not an influence. He's a
person. God the Holy Spirit. He's first mentioned in Genesis
chapter one, verse two. where we read that the Spirit
of God moved upon the face of the waters. It was He who came
upon the Virgin Mary and caused her to conceive the Lord Jesus
Christ. That's when the Eternal Son was
made flesh. He said, the power of the highest
shall overshadow thee. God the Holy Spirit came upon
the Virgin Mary and caused her to be with child. The Son of God, the uncreated,
eternal Son of God. Unto us a child is born. He was born in time, but unto
us a son is given. He wasn't born. He's the eternal
Son of God. And it was God, the Holy Spirit,
who made Mary, the virgin, to conceive. And this is very important
because somebody says, could a virgin have a baby? Yes. This time because God, the Holy
Spirit, caused her to. And no, it is impossible naturally. But if the Lord Jesus Christ
was born of a man, he'd have a sinful nature like a man, but
he was born of the Spirit of God. That's why he is sinless. He is like the Father and the
Son, God the Holy Spirit, he's eternal. He never began to be. Habits eternity with God the
Father and God the Son. There was a time when there was
no time. There was no creation. All there
was was God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit
dwelling in unity. He's co-equal with God the Father
and God the Son. He is God. He, like God, is sovereign. That
means He always does His will. And no one can thwart Him. No
one can stop Him from doing His will. You see, He's omnipotent.
He has the power to make His will come to pass. The wind blows
where it wills, our Lord says. You hear the sound thereof. And
you can't tell whence it cometh or where it goes. Even so is
everyone that's born of the Spirit. He is omniscient. He knows everything. He's never
learned anything. There's no new information to
him. He's never been surprised. He's never had to say, I didn't
know that. He never responds to anything because he controls
everything. There's never a time when he
has to respond. He's independent. How could he
be independent? Because he's God. God has no
needs. I think it is blasphemous when
people talk about the creation of man as well. God made man
so he could, like he needed something in man to fulfill some kind of
perceived need in him. God's independent. He has no
needs. God the Holy Spirit has no needs. God the Father has
no needs. God the Son has no needs in that
sense. They're utterly independent. He's immutable. He never changes. All the attributes of God are
in God, the Holy Spirit, because God, the Holy Spirit is God.
He's got just as much God as God, the Father, just as much
God as God, the Son. And his activity is never separated
from the personal work of Christ. Now, let me repeat that. It's
very important that you and I understand this. His activity is never separated
from the person and work of Christ. His activity is never separated
from the will of the Father. And when He speaks, He doesn't
speak of Himself. That's what He said. That's what
the Lord Jesus said about Him. He shall not speak of Himself,
but what He shall hear, that shall He speak. A preacher that
is always talking about God the Holy Spirit doesn't have God
the Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit exalts the
gospel. He exalts Jesus Christ. That
is his purpose. And God the Holy Spirit never
acts independently from the person and the work of the Lord Jesus
Christ. I love to think of this, the
Trinity in unity. John said, These three, God the
Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, these three
are one. This is one of those stuff, well,
I feel this way, I reckon about it every time I preach, but I
don't understand this, I just believe it. It's impossible to
understand. I remember one time I was preaching
somewhere and somebody said, I understand in Trinity. I said,
you do not. You do not. No one understands
the Trinity, but we believe this because God has revealed it in
his word. God, the Holy Spirit is the author
of the new birth, just as he was the creator. When God said,
let us make man in our own image. It's got the father speaking,
got the son speaking. God the Holy Spirit speaking.
Let us make man in our own image. And he created the universe. And he's the author of the second
creation, the new birth. Being born again is the work
of God the Holy Spirit. If any man be in Christ, he's
a new creation. the creative work of God, the
Holy Spirit, you've been given a nature born of the spirit that
was not there before. It's being born of God. The Lord
said that which is born of the flesh is flesh. And it can never
rise above that. Fallen flesh, sinful flesh. And that which is born of the
spirit is spirit. The wind blowing where it will,
speaking of the spirit, giving life wherever he is pleased to
give it. I think of what the Lord said
in John chapter six, verse 63, the flesh profits, what? Nothing. In this thing of the
new birth, in this thing of the salvation, how much does our
natural flesh contribute? The flesh profits nothing. It is the Spirit, God the Holy
Spirit that quickens, that gives life. Now, we read in 2 Thessalonians 2,
13, where Paul said, but we're bound to give thanks always to
God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath
from the beginning chosen you to salvation. There's election.
God had from the beginning, before time began, He chose you to salvation
through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. What is the evidence of someone
being sanctified by the Spirit? They believe the truth. How does
someone believe the truth? Because they've been sanctified
by God, the Holy Spirit caused to do that. It can't be done
apart from God the Holy Spirit. Now, the first person of the
Trinity, God the Father, elects. Now, let me remind you what that
means. It means if you're a Christian,
if you're saved, it's because God chose you before time began
to be saved. And saved you must be. God the Son, the second person
of the Trinity, redeems. That's why I came to earth. He
came to work out a righteousness that the elect could never perform. And he worked out a righteousness
for them. And he redeemed them. He paid for their sins and made
it to where I have no sin. And God the Holy Spirit is the
one who gives life. He regenerates. He gives life
that was not there before. Why do I believe the gospel?
He gave me life. That's why. Why do I repent? He worked it in me. Why do I
love God? Because He works it in me. That's
the work of God the Holy Spirit. Now understand this. The work
of all three persons of the Trinity are absolutely essential in the
salvation of the sinner. You can't have salvation without
election. You can't have salvation without Christ's successful redemption. And you can't have salvation
without the saving power of the Holy Spirit giving you life. You must be born again. And this is essential. This is
essential. God, the Holy Spirit, is the
author of scripture. I love that passage of scripture
in 1 Peter 1. It says, Holy men of God spake
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. This book is the divine,
inspired, inerrant Word of God. And we have to have that, because
if we don't have that, all we have is my opinion, and your
opinion, and what so-and-so thinks. What good's that going to do
anybody? We must have this written revelation of which God the Holy
Spirit is the author. He is the author of every word
of this book. He's called the Spirit of Truth.
He's called the Spirit of Christ. He's called the Spirit of Grace.
He's called the Eternal Spirit. He's called the Spirit of God.
He's called the Holy Spirit. He's called, and I love his name,
the Comforter. The Comforter. And everything
that you and I experience, the Holy Spirit is the author of. If you believe that faith didn't
come from you, it comes from his work in you. If you have
repentance, if you have a change of mind, it's because he changed
your mind. If you love God, it's because
he gave you that love. You were born of the spirit and
given a nature that you didn't have before he gave you this
nature. He is the author of everything
we experience. I love that passage where it
says that when He should come, He will convince the world of
sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Now, if you're ever
convinced by the Spirit of God, you'll be convinced of sin. You
know what that means? You'll be convinced you're a
sinner. And the Lord gives this meaning. He says, I sin because
they believe not on me. When you're convinced of the
Holy Spirit, you're convinced that you're an unbeliever. And
you can't come up with faith. You're completely dependent upon
him to give it to you. You're convinced of righteousness.
And he says, of righteousness because I go to my father. You
know that the only righteousness that there is is the one he presents
to the father, his righteousness. as your righteousness before
God. And you're convinced of judgment. He should convince
the world of judgment, of judgment because the prince of this world
has been judged. You're convinced that all judgment
has already taken place by what Christ accomplished on Calvary's
tree. Now, what is the preaching of
the gospel without the Holy Spirit? 1 Peter 1.12 speaks of those
who have preached the gospel with the Holy Spirit sent down
from heaven. If I get up and preach as accurately
and perfectly as I can from the scriptures, you know how much
good it'll do? None. Unless God the Holy Spirit is
pleased to bless me in preaching and you in hearing. The activity
of the Holy Spirit takes place in the preaching of the gospel. I like what John said, 1 John
4, 2. Hereby know ye the Spirit of
God, every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in
the fleshes of God. Every spirit that confesses that
Jesus Christ was before he came, he's eternal, he came in the
flesh, and he did what he came to do, that is the preaching
of God the Holy Spirit. We also read in the scriptures
that God the Holy Spirit, you can read this in Ephesians 1,
12 and 13, he's the earnest. That means the pledge of our
salvation. And he's the seal. He's the mark of authentic being
real. And he is the one who preserves
us. And the believer is said to walk
in the spirit, not in the flesh. And that doesn't mean sometimes
you're walking in the spirit and sometimes you're walking in the flesh.
You walk in the Spirit when you continually look to Christ only
as all you have in salvation. That's walking in the Spirit.
Walking in the flesh is walking, thinking you can be saved by
your works. And we read in 2 Corinthians 3, 17, the Lord is that Spirit
and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there's liberty. What's liberty? Liberty is not owing anything and getting
to do what you want to do. That's what liberty is. Stand
fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free. He's
paid my debt. I don't owe anything. Right now
I stand before God perfect, without debt, without sin, because Christ
put it away. And I'm getting to do what I
want to do. I'm meeting with God's people and hearing the gospel.
That is the liberty that's in Christ Jesus. Now, what does
Paul mean in verse 18? This is the spirit of which he
is speaking of when he says, be not drunk with wine wherein
is excess, but be ye filled with the Spirit of God. Be not drunk
with wine. That's talking about intoxication. Drunkenness is sin. Be not drunk
with wine wherein is excess. Peter calls it excess of riot.
When the Lord uses this word, he's talking about the prodigal
who went and wasted his substance in riotous living. That's what
is meant when he says, be not drunk with wine wherein is it
excess, which is riotous living, excess of riot. When you're drunken,
and I think it's kind of unusual how all of a sudden he brings
drunkenness in this statement regarding God the Holy Spirit,
but there's a point. When you're drunk, It affects
everything about you. There's no part that's not affected. It affects your mind, it affects
your emotions, it affects your body. There's no part that's
not affected when you're drunken. And that's the point he's making. Don't be that way, drunken with
wine, but be filled with the spirit of God that every aspect
of your life is affected by the Spirit of God. And that's what
this being filled with the Spirit means. Now sometimes the filling of
the Spirit in the New Testament is speaking of the supernatural
gifts of the Holy Spirit. Remember when Paul was baptized,
they laid hands on him and he received the Holy Spirit. And
what that's talking about is in the early church in the New
Testament They would lay their hands on you, only the apostles.
Nobody else, only the apostles could do this. They would lay
their hands on you and you would receive these supernatural gifts
where you could speak in tongues. You could speak in other languages.
I could go into Russia or Spain or France or Italy and preach
the gospel and they'd understand me because I'd be preaching in
their language. I might not understand I'm doing it, but that's the
way they hear it. That's what the gift of tongues is. And when
I know in the charismatic movement, they talk about this, this heavenly
language in this speaking in tongues. It's not real. It's phony. And if somebody claims
to have these gifts of the Holy Spirit, they're phonies and that's
all they are. Don't, don't give them any Credit. If they really had these gifts,
they could go into other languages, under their countries, and preach
the gospel. They could pick up snakes, and they'd bite them,
and it wouldn't hurt them. They could drink poison. It wouldn't
hurt them. They could go into hospitals and start healing people. Somebody dying of cancer, they'd
say, be healed, and they'd be healed if they had this gift.
Now these fellows who claim to have this gift, why don't they
do that? Because they don't have the gift. Because it's pure phoniness. The entire charismatic movement
is phony. There is no truth to it. Don't be intimidated by it. I
never will forget when I was in college, I lived beside what
was called the Maranatha Christian Fellowship. And all these fellows
could speak in tongues and and do all the, you know, they say
it, all these things they could do. And I was, and I, I remember
I was intimidated by it. And I remember praying that I
would receive the gifts because I didn't understand. I thought,
well, the Bible says something about it. If it's real, I want
to do it. And thank God it never happened.
Thank God. One of the things, I remember
a guy there that looked like Charles Manson. He really did.
He had the long hair and the beard and the piercing eyes.
And he said, God gave me a revelation about you. I thought, what? He said, there's sin in your
life. I don't know. Oh, no. Well, we've never seen
in his life, you know, but I mean, it's just all that stuff's phony.
So this is not talking about when it's talking about filling
of the spirit. It's not talking about all this charismatic garbage. And I'm and that's what it is.
And I'm and somebody hears this and said, I've received a lot
of letters over the years when I say something like that on
TV or radio, people hear it and have you're going to you're doing
the sin against the Holy Spirit. I'm not worried a bit about that.
This is not, the filling of the spirit is not some kind of experience
like the charismatic movement. Somebody says, well, how can
you say that those gifts are over? Because Acts chapter 8 says when
they saw that the gift of the spirit was given by the laying
on of the apostles' hands. Now, the only ones who could
transfer this gift were the apostles. When they died, you know what?
The gift died too. That is scriptural. You know,
people say, well, where can you find that in the scriptures?
I found it, Acts chapter 8, when they saw by the laying on of
the apostles' hands, the Holy Spirit was given. And so this
is not talking about what the entire charismatic movement speaks
of. It's not talking about that at all. Now, the baptism of the
Holy Spirit is regeneration. It's being born again. That's
what that's a reference to. You must be born again. Regeneration. Billy Graham wrote a book entitled,
How to Be Born Again. The Bible never tells you how
to be born again, but it tells you you must be born again. And
this filling of the spirit, this is not a how to be filled with
the spirit. I wouldn't dare try something like that. I wouldn't
know how to tell somebody how to be filled with the spirit,
but I'd say be filled with the spirit. Ask the Lord to cause
you to be filled with the spirit. We're going to look into that
a little bit more. The Lord taught us, turn to Luke
chapter 11. Luke chapter 11. Verse 11, if the son shall ask
bread of any of you that's a father, will he give him a stone? Or
if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or
if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? Well,
of course not. If you then being evil. Now he's talking to his disciples.
How's that strike you? What if the Lord said to you,
if you then being evil, would you defend yourself? Or would
you say, boy, he's got me down bad. If you then, being evil,
know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more
shall your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to them that
ask him? Now, let me repeat. I'm not going
to give a message about how to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
I wouldn't know where to begin there, but I do know this. The
Bible lets us know what it looks like when one is filled with
the Holy Spirit. Turn back to our text in Ephesians
chapter five. Be being filled. Lord, cause me to be being filled
with your Spirit. Now, what's it look like when
someone is being filled? with the spirit of God. Well,
let me tell you right off the bat, it doesn't mean you got
a halo over your head. It doesn't mean that you are
speaking in tongues or speaking in real pious language that is
seemingly insincere the way so many people do. It's not bad
at all. But back to our text in Ephesians chapter five, verse
18, be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with
the spirit speaking to yourselves. Here's what happens when people
are filled with the Spirit of God. Speaking to yourselves in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Now it could be speaking
to yourselves. Don't you love it when the Lord
enables you to sing hymns and you're blessed by Him when you're
all by yourself? I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the
Nazarene. Wonder how He could love me a
sinner condemned unclean. Speaking to yourselves in psalms,
Psalm 23, hymns, spiritual songs. Singing is part of public worship.
It's very important. When we're singing these hymns,
don't just go through the motions. Singing to yourselves in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs. What a blessing psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs are. Look in Colossians chapter three,
turn a few pages over. verse 16, let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly. That's what happens when people
are being filled with the spirit. The word of Christ dwells in
them richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another.
in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in
your hearts to the Lord." Now, that's what it looks like when
someone's filled with the Spirit or being filled with the Spirit.
They sing to themselves, they sing to one another, admonishing
one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Now, when
you're being filled with Spirit, you want to be with the church.
You want to meet with the people of God. singing Psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs. This is part, you know, you can't
serve the Lord by yourself. You can't do it. You can't, we're
getting ready to take the Lord's table. You know, you can't take
the Lord's table by yourself. Someone says, I think I'm gonna
take the Lord table. And you just sit there and say, well,
that's ridiculous. You can't baptize yourself. I
mean, there's things that can be done only through the church,
speaking to one another. Fellowship in the gospel, speaking
to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing,
and I love this, making melody in your heart to the Lord. Now,
when someone is being filled with the Spirit of God, they
are rejoicing in the gospel. They're making melody in their
heart to God. Aren't you thankful that salvation
is utterly in Christ? Doesn't that make you happy?
that everything God requires of you, He looks to Christ for?
Does that make you happy? That His righteousness is your
personal righteousness before God and you have nothing to fear?
Doesn't that make you happy? That on judgment day, when your
name is called, perfect! No sin to worry about, it's gone! All the joy and peace of believing
the Gospel. You sing and make melody in your
hearts to God. That's what being filled with
the Spirit looks like. Look in verse 20. Giving thanks
always for all things unto God and the Father. You know what
happens when someone is being filled with the Spirit of God?
They're thankful. They're thankful for everything. In everything
give thanks. I don't care what it is. I don't
care how painful it is. It doesn't mean you're saying
it in a giddy way, but if the Lord strikes you with cancer
tonight, and you find out about it, give thanks. It's for your
good and His glory. Whatever it is. 1 Thessalonians
5 verse 18 says, In everything give thanks. Whatever it is. For this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus concerning you. Everything God brings your way. I don't care how difficult it
is. I don't care how joyous it is. It's him that brought it.
So give thanks for it. Romans 8 28 says, and we know
that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose. So I'll tell
you one evidence of the filling of the spirit is you're thankful.
You're thankful. Look what he says next. Giving
thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ. When you're filled with the Spirit,
when you're being filled with the Spirit, you wouldn't dare
approach God any other way but by the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ. There's a deep awareness of that. You're not thinking
about how joyful you are or you're thinking I can't come into his
presence except in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I don't
come in my own name. I don't come in my works or my
merits or anything about me. I come in the name of Christ
and I wouldn't dare come any other way. Giving thanks unto
God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse
21, submitting yourselves one to another. Now, when I'm being
filled with the Spirit of God, you know what I'm gonna do? I'm
gonna submit to you. And you're gonna submit to me. And we're
all gonna be subject one to another. Your great interest is the church
of God. Submitting yourselves to one
another, not just seeking your own way and not caring about
the church of God, but submitting to one another. And we do so
in the fear of God. Oh, that fear that's the beginning
of wisdom. Someone who is being filled with
the Spirit is someone who fears God. Now, what's it mean to fear
God? When you fear God, you're afraid
to look anywhere but Christ only. That's the only true fear of
God. If you think you can be saved
by your works, or if you can come into God's presence some
other way than the name of Christ, you have no fear of God. You
have no respect for God. You don't even know who he is.
But if you're being filled with the spirit of God, you will be
in the fear of God. Look what verse 22 says. This
is part of being filled with the spirit of God. Wives, Submit
yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord. Now, somebody
says, well, he doesn't deserve it. That's not the point. That's
not the point. You do it in the fear of God.
You do it because you want to, because you know that's what
the Lord says for you to do. Wives, submit yourselves unto
your own husbands. If you're being filled with the
Spirit of God, you're going to be submissive to your husband
for Christ's sake. That doesn't mean husband saying,
you need to submit to me, all that, if you want to make sure
they won't do that. But I'm talking about doing this for Christ's
sake, because that's what you want to do. Look in verse 25.
Here's what happens when people are being filled with the Spirit
of God. Husbands, love your wives. Even as Christ also loved the
church and gave himself for it. When someone is being filled
with the Spirit of God, you know what they want to do? They want
to love their wives as Christ loved the church. They want to
make their wives so thankful that they're married to them
because of the way they treat them. And that's what happens
when someone is being filled with the Spirit of God. It's
not some kind of warm feeling or, no, it's seen in your conduct. Look in chapter six. Children,
obey your parents and the Lord, for this is right. Honor your
father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise.
If you're a child and you're a believer, you know what's gonna
evidence that you're being filled with the Spirit? You're gonna
honor your parents. You're gonna honor authority. Adults, honoring
all authority. You're gonna be respectful to
authority if you're being filled with the Spirit of God. And that's
the context of what he's saying. Look in verse four, and ye fathers,
provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the
nurture and admonition of the Lord. If you're being filled
with the Spirit, it's gonna make you the parent you ought to be.
It's going to make you seek to be the parent that Christ would
have you to be, that he would cause you to be. You're gonna
wanna raise your children in the fear and admonition of the
Lord. Verse five, when someone's being
filled with the Spirit, Servants, be obedient to them that are
your masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling
and signals of your heart as unto Christ, not with eye service
as men pleasers, but as the servants of Christ doing the will of God
from the heart with goodwill, doing service as to the Lord
and not to men, knowing that whatsoever good thing any man
doeth, The same shall receive of the Lord, whether it be bond
or free. Now, if I'm being filled with the Spirit, it's going to
make me seek to be the best employee that I can be. The best one there. If I'm being filled with the
Spirit. You know, I have no doubt that if the Lord Jesus Christ
was employed by somebody, he'd be the best employee they have.
He'd be the most faithful. He'd be the hardest working.
And that's what it is to be filled with the Spirit of God. I mean,
in the context of what he's saying, this is what he's saying. He's
not telling how to be filled with the Spirit, but he's sure
enough showing us what it looks like. Look in verse nine, ye
masters, do the same things unto them, forbear him threatening,
knowing that your master also is in heaven, neither is the
respective persons with him. If someone is being filled with
the Spirit of God, it's gonna make them a better employer.
a better master, a better boss, where the people under you are
going to be thankful they work for you. They're going to think,
what a blessing to have a man like this as my boss, or a woman
like this as my boss. This is part of being filled
with the Spirit of God. Remember when He said, be not
drunk with wine, wherein every aspect of your life is controlled
by that intoxication, but be being filled with the Spirit
of God. It's going to make you, verse
10, finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, the power
of his might, put on the whole armor of God that you may be
able to stand against the wiles of the devil. We're going to
get to that in a few weeks. But if you're being filled with
the spirit, you're going to put on the whole armor of God. Now,
we are preachers have really messed this up by making the
filling of the Spirit, some kind of ooey-gooey, undefinable, rushing
feeling, and you start speaking in tongues and start to, no. The filling of the Spirit, like
I said, I'm not telling you how to be filled with the Spirit,
and the Bible doesn't either, but it just says be, being filled
with the Spirit. And being filled with the Spirit
is manifest in every area of our life, speaking to ourselves
in psalms and hymns, spiritual songs, singing, making melody
in our hearts to God, being thankful for everything, only through
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, submitting ourselves to one another
in the fear of God. Be being filled with the Spirit
of God. And that's what I'm praying.
The Lord taught us to pray. And ask the Lord for the Holy
Spirit. I'm asking for the Holy Spirit
that I might look to Christ only. That I might preach Him only. That I might glorify Him only. That is the office of the Holy
Spirit. He says He shall not speak of
Himself But whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak, he
shall glorify me." That's what God the Holy Spirit does. He
glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, I think it's sobering
to think of these two scriptures where it speaks of grieving the
Holy Spirit. You can only grieve a person.
and quenching the Holy Spirit. I know you've read that. Quench
not the Spirit of God where you quench his influence. Now, I
realize that we can't make him leave. We don't want
to, but we can certainly quench his influences in our life by
not looking to Christ, by looking to ourselves, by not glorifying
him. May we be so filled continually,
being filled by the Spirit of God, that we continually look
to Christ only, preach Christ only, and that He would invade
and empower every aspect of our life, no matter what it is. I want you to remember this,
there's nothing mundane in the life of a believer. Everything
we do, we do as unto the Lord. Now, we're getting ready to observe
the Lord's table. And what the Lord's table represents
is the broken body and shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Why was his body broken? Because
he bore my sin. He bore the sins of his elect.
Why was his blood shed? The soul that sinneth shall surely
die. My sin became his sin so truly
that he died. It was my sin given to him and
became his sin and he died for it. Understand this, when Christ
was dying, he wasn't saying, I'm dying for Todd's sin. Todd's
sin became his sin that he became guilty of. And that's why he
died. And we're observing the Lord's
table, the bread and the wine, and we remember, we celebrate,
we rejoice that all of our salvation was accomplished by what He did
on Calvary's tree. Let's pass out the bread and
wine.