Ephesians 5:18-21
Notes
Transcript
A few weeks ago we surfaced the main idea of a passage, which is really the main reason Paul wrote Ephesians in the first place. We are to progressively walk out of the dark into the light. We are children of light and we need to walk like children of light. I jokingly said that, that sounds like a phrase that Yoda would say to one of his padewan learners…it does indeed sound like something Yoda would say…but it is different in two essential ways. First of all when Paul wrote this, it was inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, so it was a holy word the Ephesians and next week it will be holy word to us as well as we here it preached. This book is holy, it is set apart from all other literature. This is not merely a suggestion by an aged, ancient species of unknown origin. It will be God’s command to us to be set apart to walk as His children of light. We must walk in the light as He is in the light. This is an authoritative command from God Almighty who wants us to rep Him well.
Secondly, if this was coming from Yoda, it wouldn’t be as clear cut and practical. Have you ever noticed that? Yoda is always so hazy! There is not real concrete advice. It just more or less… “Think it over and decide your path.” Choose the path of light over the dark. Sounds good, but if it is up to me to decide what is right and wrong, I will make a mess real quick.
Paul is way more practical in Ephesians 4-6. I think we have all who have had ears to hear over the last few weeks have come to notice that! And by God’s grace I hope we continue to hear how our relationship with God must practically impact our relationship with everyone we come in contact with…whether it is a fellow pew dweller, someone in your household, someone who shares a bedroom with you, someone who employs you, to the stranger wearing a mask in the checkout line in front of you. This book will address everything in your life. Always? and for Everything?
VBS DAY
One another Sandwich
Don’t Get Wasted, Get Loaded
What is wrong with your controller?
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
so much negative…now the positive.
Textual Idea: We are filled with power for a purpose.
perpetually filled with power for a purpose.
It is a constant condition
What do we mean by filled with the Spirit?
Just as it is our choice to go bottoms up in a bar, so it is your choice as to whether or not you will allow the Holy Spirit to invade every aspect of your life.
The HOly Spirit penned these very words…so to be “filled with the Spirit” to be under the influence of the Spirit is to be submitted to the Word. To take it in. To drink it down deep. To be under its influence.
First, this is not a teaching against the consumption of alcohol. (EXPLAIN)
Alcohol - influences every part of us…it goes into the blood stream - it permeates all of us…we can’t selectively escape certain things in our lives by cosuming alcohol. It affect mind, emotions, impair driving, judgment. ect.
let the Spirit infiltrate your blood stream (your life blood and let it affect everything a about you.
DEF. something that wholly takes posession of the mind is said to fill it.”
*Nature hates a vacuum - when we are filled with the Spirit we are not filled with something else.
The Spirit is a “He” not an “it.” Let Him do what He wants to do. He is in you.
under the influence / be under the influence of the Spirit.
there is a “greiving of the Spirit.
Grieving occurs when you want something to happen, but it doesn’t happen.
Kids - i want you to stop whining. they keep whining. It bothers me.
be under the influence of the Spirit. When we allow Him to be our primary influence…what does it look like?
Filled with the Spirit = controlled by the Spirit. Allow God the Spirit to do what He came to do.
Convict, comfort, remind.
Filled with power for purpose.
Let’s look at a character in the Exodus story called Bezaleel. He was tasked with crafting...
3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship,
The reason God filled him with the Spirit is so that he would be equipped to do that which God had called him to do for the chosen people of God.
The reason God fills us with the Spirit is to do the same. We are to be equipped to do that which God has called us to do for the ekklesia.
What are we to do? What is God seeking to accomplish in our filling? Why did He fill us up. Why do you fill up a pitcher of water? You fill it up so that the contianer is equipped to do that which is was created to do. A container houses, something so that it can be a vessel used to pour out it’s contents for the benefit of other people. We are filled with the Spirit so that we can pour ourselves out for the blessing of other people. We already saw that a few weeks ago when we talked about not being an unused gift card. We have been uniquely gifted by the Spirit to bless other people. We have been gifted for the common good. That is what Paul tells the Corinthians...
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
In this passage, Paul commands us to be filled.
Who does the filling?
What should be poured out once we are filled?
We pour out our words. laleo - speaking.
We sing with each other. (I can’t sing - yes you can. it is just a matter of whether or not you will sing. the definition. utter words in a melodic pattern). this must be done with our hearts…to the Lord
We are thankful, always and for everything. This looks really cool on a plague. Do you know how insane this is? How…well we do this in the name of Jesus - here is the key to obeying this… You have the ability to offer this thanks “in the Name.” Jesus always lives to make intecession (Heb. 7:25). you can give thanks always, for everhting because you are expereiceing what you are experinecing while being in the most precious relatinoship ever. He holds your hand through it all.
10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Cancer comes…stock market crash, death of a spouse,
Paul what do you mean? If Paul could sit down with us and have a candid conversation. What do you mean. Wink wink. Hyperbole.? Trying to get our attention…but you don’t really mean that right?
Every word inspired. Always was inspired. for everthign was inspired.
What is always?
What do you mean by everything?
addressing one another (song hymn spiritual song)
Singing and Psalming (in the heart) - to the master
the master of us (Jesus Christ) - to God and Father
Filled with the Spirit and music
Kind of another “Put off and Put on”
Paul is not primarily warning about the dangers of alcoholic consumption or prohibititing it’s use al together. In the Greek he really only gives 1 word to describe the thinking and behavior that is so accompanied with an overconsumption of (oinos) it ἀσωτία - “dissipation - “behavior which shows lack of concern or thought for the consequences of an action.” Have you ever done that, Paul says, don’t do that…instead of letting alcholol control you in a way that leads to you doing somethign that hyou might regret, let the Spirit control you in a way that will address the needs of other people and not only make you feel responisble as child of GOd, but actaully be resposible as a child of God.
drunk - “full of wine.” - soaked, Don’t be soaked with wine, but be filled with the Spirit.”
which is excess - prodigal son (riotosu living)
What does Paul think is behavior that is becoming of born again children of God? Sing God honoring songs to one another.
God wants you to sing kareokee. (not friends in low place where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases our blues away), but sing songs to one another that remind us the prevailing, preimentn truth that has safeguarded our lives (ROm. 8:31-32), Is. 43:1, Is. 41:10, Psalm 94)
These are things when we get together and sing to one another (i look you in the eye and i say these words and i don’t blink, but they come from the core off all I believe to be true…it inspires mutual growth. It is so humbling and uplifting to sing to one another (
If i break out in song right now…it is awekward and weird if I say (row row row…)
but if i break out in song and look you in the eye and say, “How great is our God…sing with me”
It might be initially akward, but if you submit to my request it wont’ be weird…we might be in tears over how powerful of a moment we have experienced together. Who among us has ever gotten “emotional” while participating in congregational singing? There are times, when i was worship pastor (connect with people…and i woud be streuck wiht the beauty of what God has done for us and I would be overwhelmed with emotinos.. connet with what the Spirit was doing, unbeknownst to me) It wasn’t because i was the most greatest, most planned out worship pastor, it was the Spirits work in me to create something for God’s people that never even entered into my mind, it was all him. Those moments would humble me and make me emotionally thankful.
final warning - dangers of alcohol...
Addressing one another (others focused)
HOw…with heartfelt songs.
Always? and for Everything?
It is phrases like this that are in the bible that leave me scratching my head. When I come to phrases like this, I think they preach well, but how in the world is this what I am actually supposed to do? How can, or does God really expect this of me? of the people I am preaching too?
There was one time that is recorderd for us in John 6, where after a teaching of Jesus, John writes,
66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
First of all, although arbirtrary, it is interesteing that the reference is 6:66 AND it is talking about people turning away from Jesus and walking away. It is creepily connected even thought chapter and verse numbers weren’t inspired.
But, this is one of those times I think, maybe more than most others, when you read this you think, “I can’t do this.”
If I am expected to do what I am commanded to do here, I don’t know if i really want to follow Jesus. If I am to be expected to “give thanks always and for everything,” I don’t know if I can do that. I don’t know IF I can do that because I don’t know HOW to do that.
(EMBRACE the God glorifying end of your trials and suffering)
What we have here is a “one-another” sandwich.
We are to address one another and submit to one another. The meat of the sandwich is our willingness to give thanks to God, “always and for everything.”
if you want to be influenced by someting, be infulenced by the spirit…look at what the Spirit, if you are filled by Him will lead you to do.
…addressing one another (makes us others focused - we said it a few weeks back when we talked about not being an unused gift card. You have been specifaclly gifted by the Spirit and your life is inteneded to be used by the Spirit as a gift to other people. Start thinking that way and you will see opportunities to be “controlled” by the Spirit every time you walk in these doors.