godswil5

            We’ve been talking about “Knowing the Will of God.” In these Vs here, it tells us what the will of the Lord is, at least part of it.

            I. In (V 18) He tells us that He wants us to be filled with the Spirit.

                        A. We said last week that this V in the Greek means a continuous action.

                                    1. In other words we should be filled with the Spirit continuously.

                                    2. How are we to be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit?

                                                a. (Ephesians 5:19) “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” (KJV)

                        B. This is where you need to begin.

                                    1. You need that time with the Lord.

                                                a. Praying in the Spirit, Worshipping Him, Praising Him, Waiting on Him, and Listening to Him.

                                                b. But He doesn’t end His thought with (V 19).

                                    2. He goes on with V 20 (EPH 5:20).

                                                a. We need to have a thankful heart. Giving thanks to God in the midst anything we might go through.

                                                            i. Not thanking God for the things that are bad, but still thanking God in the midst of those things.

                                                            ii. Thanking God and having that thankful attitude is essential, not only to be in God’s will, but also to have God’s blessings.

                        C. The opposite of having a thankful heart is having a heart full of bitter envy.

                                    1. “Bitter envy” is basically “jealousy” over what someone else has, material things, or position or anything else that someone has.

                                    2. Look at JAMES 3:14-16

                                                a. The flesh always wants more. It doesn’t matter what you have, the flesh wants more.

                                                b. But if you allow a bitterness and a jealousy to get in, you open the door for the Devil to get in and tare you apart.

                                                            i. Paul said in (Hebrews 12:15 RSV) “See to it that no one fail to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” spring up and cause trouble, and by it the many become defiled” (RSV)

                                    3. We have to replace any bitterness with thanksgiving.

                                                a. You might be thinking, “Oh Pastor, you don’t know what I’m going through.”

                                                b. The more you’re going through, the more you need to have a heart of thanksgiving.

                                    4. In (Psalm 50:14-15) It says, “Offer unto God thanksgiving and I will deliver thee in the day of trouble.” (KJV)

            II. Turn with me to ACTS 11:19-24

                        A. Here we see Barnabas who was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of faith.

                                    1. What was it that Barnabas did that the Word of God would declare that he was full of the Holy Ghost?

                                                a. There are some things that we can see in the Word about Barnabas.

                                    2. Turn to ACTS 13:1-2

                                                a. As we see here, they ministered to the Lord and fasted.

                                                            i. This is telling me that they spent time with the Lord, fulfilling (Ephesians 5:19) “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” (KJV)

                                                            ii. You can say that they spent time worshipping the Lord, praising the Lord, and praying in the Holy Ghost.

                                                            iii. (Jude 20) Says, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.” (KJV)

                                                            iv. If you’re full of the Holy Ghost, you’re going to pray in the Holy Ghost.

                                    3. As you go on reading in the next few Vs, you’ll see that Barnabas when out to do the will of God, without hesitation.

                                                a. Someone that is full of the HS will do the will of God.

                                    4. There is also a boldness about someone that is full of the Holy Ghost, when they are doing the will of God.

                                                a. ACTS 14:19-21a

                                                            i. Paul was just stoned, and after he got up Paul and Barnabas went to the adjoining city to preach there.

                                                            ii. Nothing was going to stop them from doing the will of God.

                                                            iii. Look at V 21 again (ACTS 14:21)

                                                            iv. Lystra was the city that Paul was just stoned in. They went back to Lystra to preach the Gospel there again. Nothing was going to stop them from doing the will of God. (Same with me starting the church)

                                    5. ACTS 14:6-15a

                                                a. Here when people tried to worship them, they stopped it and in essence told them to only worship God. (Bringing glory to God)

                        B. Paul is someone that we would consider “Full of the Holy Ghost.”

                                    1. Paul said in (1 Corinthians 14:18), “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all.” (KJV)

                                    2. At 1 time Paul was in prison with Silas and in (ACTS 16:25) it says that they “prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.” (KJV)

                                                a. People that are known to be full of the Holy Ghost Pray, in tongues and with their understanding. They are also known to be worshipers of God and to fellowship with Him.

                                    3. Smith Wiggelsworth would not let 15 or 20 minutes go by without spending time with God.

                                                a. ACTS 4:31

                                                            i. Notice that they prayed, and then they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.

                                                b. If we want to be full of the Holy Ghost, which is God’s will for us, and have the power that comes with it we’ve got to spend time with Him. (Regularly)

            III. Other than spending time in Praise and worship, and Praying in the Holy Ghost; what else is needed to continue to walk in the Spirit?

                        A. Walking in the light of God’s Word. (Which is God’s will)

                                    1. 1 area that we need to focus on is “Walking in Love.”

                                                a. 1JOHN 2:10-11

                                                            i. Jesus said in (Matthew 5:43-44) “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. (44) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (KJV)

                                                b. If we’re not walking in love, we’re not walking in the light. We’re not walking in the Spirit. (Not full of the Holy Ghost)

                        B. Turn with me to 1COR 13: 1-13 From the NIV translation.

                                    1. (1 Corinthians 13:1-13) “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”

                                                a. The (RSV) says this (1 Corinthians 13:1) “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” (RSV)

                                                b. The Strong’s concordance says that this phrase could be “A noisy gong or a loud wailing cymbal.”

                                                            i. Without love, even those nice flattery words are just a noisy gong.

(2) “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”

(3) “If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

(4) “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”

(5) “It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, (RSV says Love does not insist on its own way) it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”

(6) “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”

(7) “It always protects, always trusts, (believes) always hopes, always perseveres.”

(8) “Love never fails.

(13) “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (NIV)

                        C. What is God’s will for our lives?

                                    1. To be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:19-20) “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. (20) Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (KJV)

                                    2. And walking in Love.

WOLCC SUN AM 3/12/95