Ephesians # 26 Eph 5-18 thru 5-22
We’re going to continue on the book of Ephesians. Last time we left off at EPH 5:18, so let’s pick up from there.
I. EPH 5:18-19
A. We have a sister V to this in COL 3:16 Let’s look at that for a moment.
1. (EPH 5:18) tells us to be filled with the Spirit, and (COL 3:16) tells us to be filled to be filled with the Word.
a. The Spirit and the Word go hand in hand.
i. The only way that you’re going to be truly filled with the Sprit and doing it according to the will of God is if you’re filled with the Sprit and filled with the Word of God.
2. If not enough to just have the Word of God, you become dry.
a. And it’s not enough just to have the leading of the HS, Without the Word you become flaky and have no balance.
B. Back in (Ephesians 5:18) It says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” KJV
1. When Paul says, “And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess.”
a. The word “WINE” here is a reference to the natural things of the world.
i. There are some natural things of the world, that can rob you of your spiritual life.
ii. Even if the thing is not sinful, but if not done in moderation. Can steal from your spiritual life and rob you of the blessings of God.
2. The next phrase that Paul gives in (EPH 5:18) is, “But be filled with the Spirit.”
a. The literal Greek says, “Be being kept filled with the Spirit.”
i. You can’t be filled with the spirit 1 time and remain filled.
b. Now that you’re baptized with the HS, you need to continually be immersed in the HS.
C. How do you stay filled with the HS?
1. The 1st thing that you need to do is surrender to God.
a. Put God 1st in your life.
i. But that’s not all that we need to do in order to stay filled with the Sprit.
2. Paul goes on to say in (Ephesians 5:19) “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” KJV
a. If you want to live the Spirit filled life and be continually filled with the Spirit, you have to spend time with the Lord. In PRAYER, in the WORD, and in WORSHIP, But also in ACTION.
i. James said, “Faith without works is dead.
ii. I don’t want anything that produces death. I want to do what it says in (Acts 17:28) “For in him we live, and move, and have our being.” KJV
b. If you want the Spirit filled life, If you want to Live and move in the spirit, you have to have your very being immersed in the things of God.
i. Submitting to God, spending time in prayer, in the Word, in Worship, and putting an action to your faith, being a doer of the Word.
3. The spirit filled live is not some weird state that causes you to float around all day.
a. People that are full of the Spirit of God make more sense than anyone else.
i. Because someone is filled with the spirit, they have more wisdom, a greater understanding, a better worker on the job, God inspired ideas.
ii. It doesn’t mean that just because you’re filled with the Spirit you have to go into the missionary field.
iii. We all need to power of the HS in our lives.
II. EPH 5:20
A. A life that is filled with the Spirit of God will always give thanks to God.
1. He is the 1 that has given us all the things that we have to enjoy.
a. Really thanksgiving and praise to God is submission to Him.
b. Our mouths should be continually filled with Praise.
i. (Psalm 34:1-4) “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. 3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” KJV
2. EPH 5:21
a. Paul is not talking about Submitting to the desire of someone else, he’s not even talking about submitting to the request of a brother,
i. What Paul is talking about here goes together with what Jesus said in MARK 9:35 turn there.
ii. The greatest in the Kingdom are those that choose to serve 1 another.
B. EPH 5:22
1. Submission is 1 of the most misunderstood words in the Word of God.
a. There is a difference between “Submission” and “obedience.”
i. Submission is an attitude and Obedience in an act.
b. Wives are told to Submit, not necessarily to obey.
i. When a husband tells the wife to submit, he usually is telling her to obey.
ii. The husband has turned into a dictator, a master.
iii. Jesus is never a dictator.
2. If the husband demands that the wife not go to church, she should still go.
a. In love, she should respectfully decline.
b. No matter what the husband asks of the wife, if it is not in line with what the word says, the wife should not do it.
3. What does it mean to submit or to have a submissive attitude?
a. Maybe I can best explain it this way, Rebellion is an unsubmissive attitude in a person, even though they may obey. They may be forced to.
i. I remember a story of a child that was told to sit down.
ii. The child finally sat down, but said, “I might be sitting down on the outside, but I’m standing on the inside.”
b. A submissive attitude says, I am willing to listen and if you are right I will do it.
C. The Bible tells us in (Isaiah 1:19) “If ye be willing (submissive) and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.” KJV
1. The reason that we should be willing (Submissive) and Obedient to the Lord with out question, is that the Lord is always right.
a. Men are not always right.
i. Men listen to your wives more often and don’t be so stubborn, your wife might have some fantastic wisdom and spiritual insight.
b. Ladies, you can be hold accountable to the Lord for doing something that your husband told you to do if it is not pleasing to the Lord.
WOLCC Thurs. 9/26/96