Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Statement Of Faith

Holy Spirit Part 4

Sermon Title:'The Holy Spirit: God's Empowering Presence' pt.4                                    Sermon Text: Ephesians 5:15-21

INTRO: Scripture commands us to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God. This morning I want to look at the question 'How will I know if I am filled with the Spirit?' or What evidences are there in the life of a Believer that would suggest they are Spirit filled? This is where the whole discussion of being 'Spirit Filled' flies all over the place.

Some within the ultra conservative church would say...

 -You will know you are Spirit Filled when you are   more disciplined in spiritual matters..
 -When you read the Bible of God more.
 -There is nothing emotionally associated with being Spirit Filled, it has to do with you mind andwill focused on God
   and His Word.

At the same time and w/ the same conviction others in the charismatic and Pentecostal churches would say...

 -You will know you are Spirit Filled when you speak in  tongues.
 -You will get a warm fuzzy tingling feeling all over your body.
 -You will fall down and shake all over.
 -You will begin to laugh and feel very happy and joyful.
 -You will know you are Spirit Filled when you start clapping and swaying  when singing, loudly shouting 'praise the Lord,
   Hallelujah' in the worship service, you will be dancing in the aisles.
 -You will be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound (oh, sorry, that was Superman)

 This is what some people in the church think. But, being Spirit Filled is not  just an intellectual awareness of the presence of God and the priority of His Word in our lives. Nor is it just an emotional experience hyped up by the frenzy of the moment. What really is important is not what some people in the church say about being Spirit Filled..but what does God's Word say about the evidences of being Spirit filled?

TRANS: To that end, open your Bibles to Eph. 5:19 Where we will see what Paul said are the evidences of a Spirit Filled life.

III. How will you know? (Eph. 5:19-21)
    A. By Your Singing  (Eph. 5:19)
        1. Together with God's People (Eph. 5:19a)
             -The evidence of being Spirit Filled is a sense of joy in your fellowship with other believers, especially during times of
               worship.

READ: Eph. 5:19a

 Singing, together as God's People has it's root in ancient Hebrew worship. Ps. 29, 33, 37, 40, 95, 96, 100 are just a few of the songs Israel sang TOGETHER to worship God and encourage one another.

ILL: Martin Luther expressed his belief about the importance of singing together in worship this way.
 'Music is a fair and glorious gift from God. I am strongly persuaded that after theology, there is no art than can be placed on the level with music.  Besides theology, music is the only art capable of affording peace and joy of the heart. The devil flees before the sound of music almost as much as before the Word of God.'

     Christians who are spirit filled love to sing with one another in their worship of God. This is very important in light of the so called 'worship wars' found in many churches today.

Paul couldn't have been more clear...we sing,

     psalms (God's inspired words put to music),
     hymns (songs that worship and praise God for who He is and what He has done) and
     spiritual songs (songs that express our spiritual and emotional response to almighty God as well as songs meant to edify the
                            body of Christ'...

     Variety, diversity, all for the glory of God, and all sung TOGETHER.

     There were probably those in Paul's time who said, 'Why do we have to sing  those old Psalms. They are over 1000 yrs. old? While others no doubt didn't like the spiritual songs because they were too new and they didn't know the words or melody. Paul says, sing all the  songs. Each has a part as we worship TOGETHER and if we are Spirit Filled we will learn to find joy in singing  them all.

     A Spirit Filled Christian certainly may have a favorite kind of music, but they learn to delight in any music that praises God and encourages other Christians. Singing together in the worship of our God is a sign of being Spirit Filled.

 2. Heartily to God (Eph. 5:19b)
     Not only is singing together encouraging to one another, it edifies and exalts God.

Read: Eph. 5:19b

     Singing to God in worship IS an emotional experience, uniting the heart and the mind. It speaks of our inward attitude toward singing in worship. It means singing from a sincere and joyful heart in response to who God is and what He has done for you. A Spirit Filled person delights in worship and in that worship he/she desires to praise God, with their whole mind, heart and body.

Trans: Evidence of being Spirit Filled is a heart for singing in worship to the Lord. Another evidence is found in vs. 20.

    B. By Your Gratitude. (Eph. 5:20)
Read: Eph. 5:20

     Thanks be to God! Thanks be to God! Thanks be to God! One who is Spirit Filled can't say that enough. They abound in thanksgiving because they realize they have so very much to be thankful for...and don't hesitate to thank God privately and publicly.

     Some people are chronic complainers. You know who I am talking about. We all have at least one in our families, neighborhoods and even in our churches.

ILL: Some men will go deer hunting in the winter and wait freezing in a tree for 8 hours just to catch of that perfect 10 pt. buck (which by the way they never get)...but, if they have to wait 5 mins for their wife to get ready, the complaints start to flow.

     Complaining and being Spirit Filled are not compatible. No matter what the situation, a Spirit Filled person displays a thankful heart.

Trans: Paul's last example here in Ephesians of the evidences of being Spirit Filled is found in vs. 21.

    C. By Your Submission  (Eph. 5:21)
Read: Eph. 5:21

     You can tell a Spirit Filled person by their willingness to submit to others.  Their reverence of Christ motivates their submissive attitude and behavior. As a servant of Christ, the Spirit Filled Believer possess a servants heart.

     To submit, Biblically means that we don't demand our way.  It means we focus on the needs of others before our own needs.  It means following and obeying, w/o complaining, those God has placed in authority over us in the church, in the home, in the workplace. A Spirit Filled Believer will display a submissive lifestyle.

Sidebar: Are you Fruity? (Gal. 5:22-23)
     We have reached the end of our text but not of our examination of the evidences of being Spirit Filled.
 Perhaps the best evidence is found  in Gal. 5:22-23 where Paul tells us about the fruit of the Spirit.

Read: Gal. 5:22-23

     Here Paul tells us that the life of a Spirit Filled Believer will be evidenced by 9 moral qualities that he called the fruit of the Spirit. When they are present they are further evidence that one is Spirit Filled. Understand first that this list is given by Paul in contrast to the list he gave in 5:19-21.

Read: Gal. 5:19-21

     Paul is saying, if you see these qualities and behaviors in a person, even in a believer, then they are not filled with the Spirit. He even goes as far as to say that if they are found consistently in ones life, then that person will not enter the Kingdom of God. Pretty strong words.

     Note that the fruit is of the Spirit and not of your works. It is the manifestation or evidence of being Spirit Filled. It is the work of the Spirit in your life to change the depth of your character to that of Christ.

 I want to briefly look at what these 9 moral qualities may look like in one who is Spirit Filled.

LOVE
 One who is Spirit Filled does not say hurtful things to others.  They do not criticize unjustly or harshly. Love put others needs before their own.  They show genuine affection and compassion for others.

JOY
 One who is Spirit Filled has a heart or demeanor  of gladness, They often have a song in their heart and on their lips. Spirit Filled people joyfully display an air of contentment.

PEACE
 One who is Spirit Filled displays the absence of discord in their life. They have productive, enriching relationships with others, even when they don't agree on everything. In peace they  are able to stand fast in times of trouble, depending on the Lord for deliverance.

PATIENCE
 One who is Spirit Filled displays an ability to endure even through difficult circumstances and in relationships with difficult people.  They display the ability to bear up under stress and persecution.

KINDNESS
 One who is Spirit Filled treats others with respect. They  return anger with a soft answer.  They are seen as one who puts others at ease.

GOODNESS
 One who is Spirit Filled displays an open, honest, pure and generous behavior and attitude. They are always ready to do good whenever the opportunity presents itself.

FAITHFULNESS
 One who is Spirit Filled is trustworthy, dependable. They follow through on their promises. They are true to their testimony for Christ and to the commands of God found in His Word.

GENTLENESS
 One who is Spirit Filled is tender, and considerate especially when confronting others or being confronted by others. They refuse to use power against someone.  They are never defensive to the point of attack.

SELF-CONTROL
 One who is Spirit Filled is able to refrain from sinful habits. They use moderation or temperance with food, drink, what they wear and the kind of entertainment they participate in.  They display an ability to discern right from wrong and do that which is right in the sight of God. No matter how enticing the wrong may be.

     When these 9 character traits are seen in your life it is evidence that you are Spirit Filled.

CONCLUSION

    The victorious Christian life stands in stark contrast to the typical Christian life. The issue is always one of control..who has it, you or the Spirit? Unless He, the Spirit, is in control, you will float through your Christian experience in a sea mediocrity, defeat, powerlessness and despair.

     BUT, a life under the control of the Spirit will always yield fruit..much fruit, abundant fruit. And that life is pleasing to God.

     The choice is yours, victory or defeat. His power or your weakness. The fruit of the Spirit or the deeds of the flesh. Christ in control or you doing it 'my way'.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 'I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."