Sermon Notes
Sermon: Filled by the Spirit by Rev. Jessica Johnson
Date: August 19, 2018
Scripture Passages:
Key Points:
In the study of Ephesians 5:15-21, we can find some insight into the differences between being drunk on wine and filled with the Holy Spirit. If I am drunk on wine, then I am being controlled by an external influence, and that influence can lead to “reckless actions”. In the Spirit, as F.F. Bruce states, “…the normal exercise of intelligence is not eclipsed but enhanced when He is in control.” If the Spirit is in control, then life-giving words and songs will be spilling out.
We tend to think of the power of the Spirit being necessary for preaching, evangelizing, or other church work. However, as this passage and the passages following demonstrate, the power of the Spirit is needed for the home and all aspects of the lives of every Christian. It is easy to be filled with the Spirit for a couple of hours a week at church, but it takes the work of the Holy Spirit for us to be filled with the Spirit constantly, 24/7. In Ephesians 5, Paul points out three pieces of evidence that someone is filled with the Spirit. In verse 19, the person is joyful. In verse 20, the person is thankful. In verse 21-33, they are submissive.
I don’t know about you, but, rarely, do I greet anyone with a song. Yet, that is what Ephesians 5:19 is talking about: being so joyful from being filled with Spirit that you burst into song. A joyful spirit is the first proof that one is filled with the Holy Spirit. The man drunk with wine feels a great sense of release and cannot hide the truth about his life as he expresses himself without inhibition. Through his song and talk, you can hear the corruptness of the sin that flows throughout. Yet, someone filled with the Holy Spirit has a profound ability of self-control. Their joyful expressions are life-giving and empowering. It is like when Paul and Silas sing praise songs to God while in jail in Acts 16:25. It sustains them in the midst of suffering.
C.S. Lewis wrote an amazing book on the meaning of Christian Joy titled Surprised by Joy. If you have not read it, I strongly encourage you to read it. When we talk about joy in Christianity, we are not talk about the fleeting, purely emotional concept of happiness. Lewis states, “Joy is distinct not only from pleasure in general but even from aesthetic pleasure. It must have the stab, the pang, the inconsolable longing.” A Christian can be full of joy even during grief, pain, or suffering. But that joy points us to something more, something outside ourselves. Lewis states, “It is a by-product. Its very existence presupposes that you desire not it but something other and outer.” That something is God.
The second piece of evidence is that a spirit-filled Christian recognizes God in their life, and they are thankful for all that God has done for them. There are definitely times, special occasions, where we are overcome with gratitude. But a spirit-filled Christian is grateful all the time for all things. Only the Holy Spirit can grace us with the gift of the ability to be thankful for all things at all times.
When we are talking about the power of the Holy Spirit, it is strange to think of submission as evidence of that power. Yet, it is our third piece of evidence of a Spirit-filled life. We often think of submission as something that is weak. Yet, we are commanded to be submissive. It is an action, and it takes strength to bow to the will of someone other than yourself. The stronger a person that you are, the more strength it takes for you to submit. You must have a willing and humble spirit. The Holy Spirit enables us to do that.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit sets us apart from the rest of the world. We will look, think, and act differently, or, at least, we should. The world may think we are crazy or drunk. But we are not. We are a people marked by the Spirit. We will be analyzed by others in how we live, because of our distinctive ways. Just as in the days of the early Christians, the reputation of the Gospel is bound up with our public behavior. When the world looks at us, what or who do they see? They will especially look at our marriages and love lives, our parenting choices, and what we are like when conducting our work or business.
Look for those opportunities to do God and to share Christ with others throughout your daily life. Take advantage of what the Holy Spirit has to offer. Allow the Holy Spirit to empower you and equip you. Walk in wisdom and live intentionally according to God’s will.
Further Suggested Study:
Suggested Reading:
Sermon: Filled by the Spirit by Rev. Jessica Johnson
Date: August 19, 2018
Scripture Passages:
- Ephesians 5:15-21
Key Points:
In the study of Ephesians 5:15-21, we can find some insight into the differences between being drunk on wine and filled with the Holy Spirit. If I am drunk on wine, then I am being controlled by an external influence, and that influence can lead to “reckless actions”. In the Spirit, as F.F. Bruce states, “…the normal exercise of intelligence is not eclipsed but enhanced when He is in control.” If the Spirit is in control, then life-giving words and songs will be spilling out.
We tend to think of the power of the Spirit being necessary for preaching, evangelizing, or other church work. However, as this passage and the passages following demonstrate, the power of the Spirit is needed for the home and all aspects of the lives of every Christian. It is easy to be filled with the Spirit for a couple of hours a week at church, but it takes the work of the Holy Spirit for us to be filled with the Spirit constantly, 24/7. In Ephesians 5, Paul points out three pieces of evidence that someone is filled with the Spirit. In verse 19, the person is joyful. In verse 20, the person is thankful. In verse 21-33, they are submissive.
I don’t know about you, but, rarely, do I greet anyone with a song. Yet, that is what Ephesians 5:19 is talking about: being so joyful from being filled with Spirit that you burst into song. A joyful spirit is the first proof that one is filled with the Holy Spirit. The man drunk with wine feels a great sense of release and cannot hide the truth about his life as he expresses himself without inhibition. Through his song and talk, you can hear the corruptness of the sin that flows throughout. Yet, someone filled with the Holy Spirit has a profound ability of self-control. Their joyful expressions are life-giving and empowering. It is like when Paul and Silas sing praise songs to God while in jail in Acts 16:25. It sustains them in the midst of suffering.
C.S. Lewis wrote an amazing book on the meaning of Christian Joy titled Surprised by Joy. If you have not read it, I strongly encourage you to read it. When we talk about joy in Christianity, we are not talk about the fleeting, purely emotional concept of happiness. Lewis states, “Joy is distinct not only from pleasure in general but even from aesthetic pleasure. It must have the stab, the pang, the inconsolable longing.” A Christian can be full of joy even during grief, pain, or suffering. But that joy points us to something more, something outside ourselves. Lewis states, “It is a by-product. Its very existence presupposes that you desire not it but something other and outer.” That something is God.
The second piece of evidence is that a spirit-filled Christian recognizes God in their life, and they are thankful for all that God has done for them. There are definitely times, special occasions, where we are overcome with gratitude. But a spirit-filled Christian is grateful all the time for all things. Only the Holy Spirit can grace us with the gift of the ability to be thankful for all things at all times.
When we are talking about the power of the Holy Spirit, it is strange to think of submission as evidence of that power. Yet, it is our third piece of evidence of a Spirit-filled life. We often think of submission as something that is weak. Yet, we are commanded to be submissive. It is an action, and it takes strength to bow to the will of someone other than yourself. The stronger a person that you are, the more strength it takes for you to submit. You must have a willing and humble spirit. The Holy Spirit enables us to do that.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit sets us apart from the rest of the world. We will look, think, and act differently, or, at least, we should. The world may think we are crazy or drunk. But we are not. We are a people marked by the Spirit. We will be analyzed by others in how we live, because of our distinctive ways. Just as in the days of the early Christians, the reputation of the Gospel is bound up with our public behavior. When the world looks at us, what or who do they see? They will especially look at our marriages and love lives, our parenting choices, and what we are like when conducting our work or business.
Look for those opportunities to do God and to share Christ with others throughout your daily life. Take advantage of what the Holy Spirit has to offer. Allow the Holy Spirit to empower you and equip you. Walk in wisdom and live intentionally according to God’s will.
Further Suggested Study:
- Psalm 42 (specifically verse 8)
- Acts 2
- Ephesians 5
- Colossians (whole book)
Suggested Reading:
- Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis
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