What is "Filled with the Spirit"

Walking Carefully

Ephesians 5:15-20

Three elements of our walk

We should be Care-Full, not Care-Less.

1. Walk with Wisdom (vv 15-16)

Wisdom is the practical application of acquired knowledge.

How you spend your time? Not so much hours-minutes-days, but How you respond to the opportunities that the Lord brings to you?

You need to look for, see, acknowledge and take them.

2. Walk with Understanding (v. 17)

This further expands wisdom. Go to Proverbs and look for all the wise/foolish references. 

Only in the Lord’s will can we accomplish anything good, and lasting. His will is found in the Bible.

1. Know Jesus - be saved

2. Be Filled with the Spirit 

3. Pursue Sanctification

4. Suffer for His sake

5. Be Thankful

6. Be Submissive to Others (next week)

3. Walk in the Spirit (vv. 18-20)

Do not be drunk with wine - is a reference to pagan worship, which involved drinking anddepraved, immoral behavior. 

For us today, the prohibition is about not seeking fulfillment or joy in things other than God.

It’s vital to know what it means to be filled

Be filled - completely full

With - pointing to the cause

Spirit - the third person of the trinity

What being filled is NOT

• An Ecstatic, emotional experience. 

If it looks like something a drunk person might do, it’s NOT being filled with the spirit. The charismatic movement is a good example of what filled is not.

• A Second blessing - later in Christian life

  Speaking in tongues as evidence is false teaching.

• Bland checklist obedience void of emotion.• Something only a select few “spiritual elites” receive.

All believers are commanded to be filled.

What being filled IS

• A command

• A conscious, intentional pursuit

It won’t happen on its own. 

• Moved along - wind in sails. Active and moving.

• Permeated - like marinated meat

• Total control

2. How to Be Filled

First, have a right attitude:

John 3:30 – He must increase, but I must decrease.” 

To be filled with the Spirit

you must be filled with the Word

Notice parallel elements in Ephesians 5:18-20 and  Colossians 3:16-18.

Galatians 5 parallels led, walk, and living in the Spirit. 

You must:

• be open to filling.

• seek filling.

• empty your life of wrong pursuits.

• fill yourself with the Word.

• obey the Word. 

Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 

When you’re doing all of this, and seeking to delight in the Lord, His will and your will merge into one will as He not only places right desires toward His will in your heart, but also fulfills those desires.

3. What It Looks Like to be filled with the Sprit. 

(vv. 18-20)

Do you see these things in your life?

Pursue these things:

• Horizontal Edification

It’s not a solo pursuit. Then Christian life is mean to be pursued with others. (Ephesians 4:29)

• Sing and making Melody

“From the heart” - Your heart should overflow with joy. 

• To the Lord

Don’t focus on yourself, your needs, desires, wants, or preferences. Our focus is the Lord. 

Finally: 

Thankfulness

Not thankful = not filled with the Spirit.

When should we be thankful? ALWAYS

For what? For Everything!
That’s impossible if you’re not filled with the Spirit.

Thankful to God the Father.

He is our Audience of One

We are to thank Him!!

In the name of our Lord Jesus

Reminding us of the cross. Pointing us to the gospel.

497 Words for Fathers

Faithful husbands & Fathers

To be a faithful father you need to put your love for Jesus on display. The most practical way to show your love for God is how love your wife. 

Ephesians 5:25-33 lays out how husbands should love their wives.

(These principles are also good for everyone in all of their relationships, so even if you’re not a husband or father - this is the kind of love you should show to others.)

Husbands, love your wife with a:

1. Sacrificial Love

Love her sacrificially - as a reflection of Christ’s love for us.

You’ll never see a better picture of sacrificial love than when you look to the cross..

2. Sanctifying Love

The main goal of the Christian life is: 

The pursuit of sanctification. 

Jesus desires us to be holy (Ephesians 1:4, John 17:17, 1 Peter 1 :15)

One of your goals in marriage must be that your wife is growing in holiness

A Word-Focused Family is Dad’s responsibility.

3. Caring Love

Do you care for her as much as you do for yourself? 

Put as much energy into her wants and needs as you do into your own

4. Permanent Love

Hold fast - means permanent

Again: a reflection of the gospel. 

There is literally nothing a believer can to to cause Jesus to stop loving them. 

Your commitment to your wife should be the same as the commitment Jesus has to all Christians.

5. Gospel Love

Your love for your wife should be a living picture of the gospel. 

Jesus is the Groom - we are His bride.

(click here for an explanation of the gospel) 

When you talk with your children about the gospel - about sacrificial love.  About how our Father in Heaven loves us. How Christ loves His bride. They should be able to understand all of that because they’ve watched how their Father loves their Mom - His bride.

Memorize this Acronym:

You’ll be blessed when you love your wife B.E.S.T.

B - Blessing Her

• speaking good words

both to her & about her (never speak poorly of her ever)

• behavior

show kindness in both big, grand gestures and in the little things

• be thankful and appreciative (words again)

• prayer to God on her behalf

Constantly think of ways to bless you wife

E - Edifying her

Building her up - Cheering her on

Always encouraging her

When you build up your wife in every way you can - you are literally building up your family

S - Sharing with Her

Sharing time, activities, interests, concerns, resources , money, ideas, deep thoughts, goals, and your spiritual walk

You’re One Flesh - that means sharing everything. 

T - Touching Her

(More than the bedroom)

Start by holding her hand whenever possible.

Touching will foster an affectionate closeness in your marriage. 

When you keep these “BEST” practices in mind, it will help you love your Bride as Christ loves the church! And God will be honored in your marriage.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Rob

Being Imitators of God

A Faithful Church

Part 9 - Imitating God

Ephesians 5:1-2

To listen to the sermon on this passage, click here.

Ephesians 5:1 stands as the centerpiece of the second half of Ephesians. 

First half - a beautiful explanation of the gospel.

Second half - how we live in response.

There are two words that summarize Ephesians 4, 5, & 6, and the central activity of the Christian Life:

• Pursue Sanctification

It’s both a command and a description of living as a follower of Jesus.

The passage begins:

Be Imitators of God

a startling command.

there is no higher standard

no more lofty goal that could be pursued

We CAN do it because we are His dearly loved children. And that’s what children do - they imitate their parents

The primary way we imitate God is laid out in the next verse

Walk in Love

…as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us

The entire Christian life is contained within this:

• imitating God

• as He is revealed in Jesus Christ

To know Jesus is to know His forgiveness

To imitate God and Jesus means first and foremost - to be forgiving. 

Nothing highlights a heart of stone more than a lack of forgiveness.

Set in your now that you will forgive, it won’t be instant in every situation, but it must be a foregone conclusion. 

Jesus Christ paid the penalty for sin on the cross, so how can we hold any sin against any person?

This is one way the gospel changes us and catalyzes godly living. 

One final detail:

Jesus’ offering was called:

a fragrant offering and sacrifice

This is a beautiful insight into the gospel

To be an imitator of God you must also be an imitator of Jesus Christ. Your life should also be a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

This happens in two ways:

1. You bring something - an offering

there must be tangible personal investment

2. There is Sacrifice - dying

It’s tempting to talk about the Christian life in terms of the benefits:

life will be better

have true meaning & fulfillment

there’s certainly truth to that

beware though - the prosperity gospel….

If you would be like Jesus,

you must offer yourself like Jesus did

there must be sacrifice - like Jesus did

Martin Luther said: if we are to truly imitate Christ, then we must also suffer for others in some way

A full-on pursuit of Jesus will hurt. 

There will be pain. 

You will be tempted. You’ll struggle, You’ll suffer. It will be hard. No pain probably means no sacrifice. 

BUT - remembering our identity in Christ, that we are God’s children gives me the strength to endure.

Suffering, difficulty, and pain should be a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice for us. 

Ultimately the Christian life is not about pleasing myself or being satisfied and fulfilled

It’s about pleasing God

And in that - we also point others to His majesty and beauty and grace and mercy and forgiveness and kindness…..

that leads to repentance

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 – But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. ¹⁵ For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, ¹⁶ to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.

May your life be a living sacrifice to God!

Pastor Rob

Family Reunion May 10

Worship Gathering Guidelines

We’re so excited to come together and worship as a family again on May 10. 

As we resume meeting together, while Romans 13 does speak into our situation, our guiding biblical principle is found in Philippians 2:3-5 – Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, We’re doing all of this to love our brothers and sisters, as well as our neighbors while being sensitive to the varying levels of comfort different people will have in group settings during the coming weeks.

There are certainly a variety of thoughts and opinions regarding the current situation. In an effort to consider others first (fellow members as well as the community), for the next few weeks, we’ll be doing a few things differently as we work our way back to “full normal.”

• May 10 will be worship only.

Sunday school will resume in a few weeks. There will be no preschool child care on May 10 - we’ll all be worshiping together as families. Please be patient with our toddlers as many of them have never joined us in a worship gathering.

• Sanctuary Seating

Sit together as a family, maintaining proper social distance (6’ apart) from other families. Please keep three empty chairs between you and the nearest family and don’t sit directly in front of or behind anyone. Our Ushers may ask you to adjust where you’re sitting in order to accommodate everyone. 

• No Hugs or Handshakes

While this is going to be very difficult for many, if not most of us, we’re asking these things for the sake of everyone. As we strive to love our neighbor, and with much still unknown about this virus, for the first several weeks we’re together, it’s wise to maintain distance this way. We certainly don’t want to inadvertently spread the virus between us or cause someone else to be uncomfortable because of physical contact among our members.

• Wash Your Hands

Please be conscientious to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer. There is hand sanitizer in the foyer and gym. 

• Masks

There are masks available in the foyer if you would like to wear a mask. This is by no means required, but if wearing one makes you feel more comfortable, they’re provided for you. If you use a disposable mask, please be sure to throw it away. If you use one of the cloth masks, you may keep it, or return it to the “to be cleaned” bin in the foyer so it can be sanitzed. 

• Bulletins & Printed Materials

We’ll continue emailing the bulletins each Friday and printing only a few bulletins so that there are less things to handle.Printed bulletins will be set out in the foyer so that you can pick them up individually.

• Greeters & Receiving the Offering

Our greeters will be appropriately positioned in the foyer to welcome everyone and help keep “high touch” surfaces clean. When the weather permits, we’ll be keeping the foyer doors open so that everyone isn’t touching the door handles as they enter and exit. Once services begin, they’ll be opening doors for everyone. 

Offering: Instead of passing the plate, ushers will be situated by the doors as you leave the auditorium to receive your offering.

• Food & Drinks

When we have food and drinks in the coming weeks (we’re Baptist after all!), they’ll be served by servers wearing gloves for everyone’s protection. Please wait for someone to serve you rather than serving yourself. This simple action protects everyone. Parents of younger children please help your children participate in this by going through lines with them. 

In the coming weeks, we plan to return to our normal routine, but in the meantime, let’s consider others first and continue trusting the Lord as we strive to glorify and honor the Lord Jesus Christ in everything we do. 

Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Rob

Summary of yesterday's Sermon

Practical Principles for Powerful Prayer - Resulting in Praise

Ephesians 3:14-21

Prayer brings us in greater alignment with God’s will.

1. A Right Attitude/Approach

• Submission - acknowledging who you’re coming to. The Father, the Lord, the Sovereign One

• Passion - not flippant, casual, or “whatever”

• Reverence - for God and His Glory

2. Prayer Brings (Spiritual) Strength

Resistance brings strength. 

When we’re consistent in prayer, we’ll be consistent in spiritual growth because the Holy Spirit comes alongside us to work in us and through us.

3. Christ’s Indwelling through Faith

John 3:30 – He must increase, but I must decrease.”

The idea is that Jesus settles in and makes our heart His home.

4. The Starting Point (Two Metaphors)

• Planted nourished through the roots

• Building on a foundation
Everything that flows out of me is a result of God’s love that was poured into me.

5. Growing in Understanding

• Eternally Wide

Encompassing all of mankind (Jew AND Gentile)

• Eternally Long 

Llasting forever

• Eternally High

Reaching all the way to heaven

• Eternally Deep

Not only will we never get to the bottom of it, it reaches to the depths of the worst sinner. 

No matter how sinful you think you are, you’re never out of God’s reach.

6. More than Mere Knowledge
Christianity isn’t just an intellectual exercise.

It’s radical transformation that affects you at the deepest imaginable level.

7. Filled Up Completely

You don’t need to ask “how can I pray for you?” To know what to pray for other believers.

BTW: you should still ask - this coming Sunday, let’s conclude every conversation with “how can I pray for you this week?”

Resulting in Praise

This is possibly the most awesome doxology in the entire Bible. 

We see, at the end, that:

God’s power is at work in us, His church

But it’s not about us or our own little kingdom. It’s still all about what He is doing throughout all generations. He is at work throughout all time - from generation to generation. 

Pray that the Lord helps us to pursue all of this, which is His will for us as His people. 

Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Rob

Sermon Notes for 5-3-20

Here's the basic outline, with a few blanks to help you listen to the sermon.
You can also print this page or the PDF on the church's Facebook page.

Practical Principles for Powerful Prayer - Resulting in Praise

Ephesians 3:14-21

Prayer brings us in greater alignment with God’s will.

1. A Right Attitude/Approach

• S________________

• P________________

• R________________

2. Prayer Brings (Spiritual) Strength

3. Christ’s Indwelling through Faith

John 3:30 – He must increase, but I must decrease.”

4. The Starting Point (Two Metaphors)

• P__________

• B__________

5. Growing in Understanding

• Eternally W_______

• Eternally L________

• Eternally H________

• Eternally D________

6. More than Mere Knowledge
Christianity isn’t just an intellectual exercise.

It’s radical transformation that affects you at the deepest imaginable level.

7. Filled Up Completely

you don’t need to ask “how can I pray for you?” To know what to pray for other believers.

(BTW: you should still ask)

Resulting in Praise

God’s power is at work in us, His church

But it’s not about us or our own little kingdom. It’s still all about what He is doing throughout all generations.

BE-ing the Church in front of a watching world

In this unique and crazy time, we must remember that the world is watching us. 

Many are watching how we respond to everything going on - so we have a wonderful and unique opportunity to show them what being a Christian is all about - how it changes and affects all that we do.

It’s critically important right now that we BE the church

The Book of Ephesians contains a theology of how we are to BE the church. As we navigate these unknown waters, it’s important that we:

   • Hold tight to what is required

   • Hold loose to traditions & preferences

Unfortunately, far too often, it’s the opposite. When we hold tightly to our traditions in one hand and our preferences in the other, we won’t have a free hand to hold tight to what the Bible calls us to. 

For the next few weeks, we’ll be doing a survey of Ephesians to look at what the Lord calls us to BE as the church in these uncertain times.

Ephesians 1 has two great reminders:

1. Verses 3-14 – Remember whose you are

In the midst of trouble, difficulty, uncertainty, these truths stand rock-solid:

• verse 3 – In Christ we have EVERY spiritual blessing!

God has given us what we need to navigate life today and tomorrow

• verse 4 – He chose us to be holy and blameless 

Everything happening right now is intended to bring each one of us greater sanctification.

• verse 5 – Predestined for adoption

He has made us His children.

He will protect & provide, just as we protect and provide for our own children.

• verse 7 – In Christ we have redemption

We have been rescued from the extreme selfishness that we’re seeing all around us right now. The hoarding is a product of selfishness.

We’ve also been rescued from sin, death, eternal punishment, and the need to worry.

• verse 8 – He lavished His grace on you

God has poured out His grace on us in an overwhelming and abundant way

• verse 9-11 – His unfolding plan

In these times, just like all times, we see God’s will, plan, and purpose unfolding. God is working everything for His glory and our good.

• verse 14 – The guarantee

Those that have turned from their sin and placed their faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation are literally guaranteed heaven. (Click here to read about what it means to trust in Jesus as your Savior)

The final words of verse 14 remind us that 

It’s all to the praise of His glory.

Be encouraged: the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies are new every morning

2. Verses 15-23 – Faith, Love, & Thankfulness

Paul heard about their faith. 

We need to be so fired up - so overjoyed - so radically changed in response to what God has done for us (verses 3-14) that people notice.

This faith results in two things:

1. Love for all the saints

John 13:34-35 – …love one another: just as I have loved you, (point 1 from verses 3-14) you also are to love one another. ³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” 

While we’re socially distancing - we have new and different and unique opportunities every day to demonstrate that love for others. It’s an exciting time - the Lord is up to something different! How can we better love one another today? This week?

2. Thanksgiving

None of this is a response to external circumstances. Remember, Paul is writing from prison.

Simply put: be thankful

for salvation

for your brother & sisters

for what God is doing.

At the end of the day, this passage reminds us to:

• Remember God’s love for ME

• Live it out in such a way that others notice

Verses 17-21 give us a great example of how and what to pray for our brothers & sisters in Christ. If you need a list of church members to pray for, get in touch with me and I’ll get you one.

• Verse 22-23 – The Underline

The foundation is our FAITHFUL God who is absolutely in control of everthing!

Jesus is in control

He is our Head

We are His hands and feet.

Let’s keep all this in mind as we go about life this week and the next….

Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Rob