Pastor Dave Martin     Cross Creek Community Church       June 6, 2010

Beyond Conversion   “The Wonderful Spirit Filled Life”  Part 6  Turn to Eph 5 (p 829)

• God exists, Heaven and hell is real, Jesus Christ walked this earth, God’s Word is true… sin is real…
• God Almighty has accomplished EVERYTHING for us to live the wonderful spirit filled life!
• Last week we quickly went through some of the many ministries of the Holy Spirit…
• Part of creation, authored the scriptures, births us spiritually, seals us, indwells us, helps us…
• As believers we are set free from the bondage of sin and all its consequences…

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

• As Christians, notice carefully… we reflect or mirror the Lord’s glory, and we’re in the process of being transformed becoming more and more Christlike… this ever-increasing glory is produced by the Spirit
• Being transformed… begins at salvation and increases into eternity forever… this is our goal… destiny

Transformation…  Read text Eph 5:15-21 (p 829)

1. 1.      Be Reflective concerning our Lives

Ephesians 5:15-17 ¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

• Be VERY CAREFUL (exact/diligent/accurately) how you live (walk/think/feel/talk/act…) BE WISE (skillful)
• A fool is one who lives apart from God… denying God by his actions and words (even Christians)
• Use your TIME wisely… it will all be accounted for someday… our culture, the “signs of the times” is evil
• We MUST understand God’s Will for our lives. God’s Will is to begin living the wonderful Spirit filled life

Ponder your life… be reflective where you have been, where you are now… what you WILL do in future

• Born Again & Spiritually Baptized by the Holy Spirit into God’s Family!  Jesus speaks about spiritually crossing over from death unto life… WOW!

• Brand New Person, Forever changed – Believe it!  Stop listening to the enemies lies!  New identity… You’re not just a patched up sinner, but a SAINT!

• Beautiful Spirit Filled Life is mine! Either believing what you “think” rather than what God declares in His Word… All heavens resources are at your ready to be used… Spirit filled life!

1. 2.      Be Filled with the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 5:18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, nlt

• “Drunk” – under “control” of alcohol… but be under the influence of the Holy Spirit

1. Getting drunk with wine is actually a counterfeit of being filled with the Spirit (Joy)
2. Getting drunk is a mark of foolishness and darkness… versus walking in the light & wisdom
3. Differing views when it comes to alcohol… but drunkenness is ALWAYS condemned in Bible
4. My uncle was an alcoholic… I know.  It destroys families, homes, careers, lives, DUI, leads to immorality, loose behavior, violence, even the destruction of nations (Belshazzar, Dan 5)
5. Old & New Testaments… Noah… Lot and his two daughters (Moabites & Ammonites)…
6. Read Prov 23 for God’s view… little wine for you stomach sake… not excess in drunkenness
7. More than to drink… to fill up… Paul’s talking about being under the influence of wine
8. Drunk on wine gives a temporary high, but filled with the Spirit produces lasting JOY & Fruit
9. Under wines control you surrender body, mind, spirit to it’s negative influence… BUT, God says  be filled with the Holy Spirit… as a drunk submits to the influence of wine – we submit to the influence of God the Holy Spirit who dwells within us… be under His INFLUENCE…

• This command is in the present tense meaning… “continually filled”

1. Continually controlled by the Holy Spirit, staying yielded to Him with your whole life…
2. A WISE man’s life/walk is one characterized by the Holy Spirit’s continual control
3. “Filled” Greek word is ‘pleroo’ (play-roo) – 1.) carries more than filling something up… 2.) used in the sense of wind filling a sail and thereby carrying the ship along… same with us (2Pet 1:21)    3.) used with the idea of permeation as in salt permeating meat flavoring and preserving it… same with us and 4.) The connotation of total control… if a person is filled with sorrow or fear, or anger, money, possessions, faith or even Satan… he is dominated, controlled by that emotion, circumstance, person or thing…

• Literally, “keep on being filled”… the idea of conscious continuation

1. Filling is commanded, Remember the holy Spirit can be resisted, grieved and quenched, consequently filling is repeatable… conditional upon our willingness to be a clean vessel before God…

• Day by day, moment by moment… step by step…

1. Thought by thought, word by word, action by action… “practicing the presence of God”
2. Let me ask, how you doing?  Stunted?  Hot/Cold?  No Victory? Lacking real power?  FILLED?

John MacArthur said, “Unless we are “filled with the Spirit”, we will live in spiritual weakness, retardation, frustration and defeat” ~

1. There are no short-cuts… there is a price to pay Lu 9:23… it takes time to learn and grow…
2. The wonderful Spirit filled life is NOT something we do… but actually something we allow
3. God the Holy Spirit places a deep hunger within us, burning desire… you will know…
4. Point three brings it all together… it’s the lowest common denominator – to be Spirit Filled…

1. 3.      Be Voluntarily putting ourselves under His Influence:  Obedience
   1. Freely, gladly, willing to make it happen… a deep desire… God is, are you? 

Psalms 42:1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.

1. The key is begin to obey the “light” God has given you… begin doing what you presently know He wants you to do.  Start to obey the Holy Spirit or He will never give you more, hence you will stay stunted, anemic – don’t live life on wishes… I wish I did…  no regrets!

Two Essential Truths…

• Total Dependence – thoroughly convinced we can do nothing apart from God’s power in us…

John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

1. It’s having an overwhelming realization we are absolutely helpless, powerless, hopeless w/o
2. Till we grasp this truth we will never experience full blown power of the Holy Spirit…
3. We’ll continue living in struggles, addictions, bad habits, fractured relationships… because we’re trying to live spiritually in my own strength, often measured by position or my performance… this is the recipe for stress, burn out… exhaustion… remember we must live the exchanged life!  We must be totally dependent…
4. God often brings us to the brink of disaster… Nowhere to turn but to Him… calls us to abide

• Total Surrender – willingness to do anything God asks us…

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

1. As we are convinced of total dependence… NOW we must be totally surrendered…
2. A brokenness, nothing of you… but a willingness to allow God to work through you His vessel…
3. He is the Potter, we are the clay… He is the loving Master we are His bond slave servants…
4. By faith, if God doesn’t do… we are sunk… being broken and willing to give up your rights
5. Understand, we can’t surrender our wills until we are convinced we’re in a hopeless situation… a no way out, a cul-de-sac (Moses)…  generally if we can see a way out of a situation, we opt for it bypassing God on the way.  We must abide in the vine… live on the sap of the Holy Spirit!

1. A willingness to confess our inadequacies… Not a rededication (something you can do)
2. Jesus said, “without me, you can do nothing”… a total surrender

If the Lord permits…  Ultimate Result is JOY

Ephesians 5:19-21 ¹⁹ Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

• Be Overflowing with JOY… Singing, Prayerful, Thankful, Submissive, Reverential Spirit

Where are you spiritually?

Does total surrender scare you?

Be ready, Jesus’ return is soon!

Let’s pray…