Ephesians 5:15–21
15Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
Focused Thinking:
How should followers of Christ walk?
First, be careful how you walk.
Second, don’t walk as the unwise.
Third, walk as the wise.
Walk intelligently instead of ignorantly.
Walk accurately instead of missing the mark.
How do the wise walk?
16making the most of your time,
- When we walk wisely, we make the most of our time.
- Lost opportunities may never be regained; they are gone forever.
Why?
16b… because the days are evil.
Many are walking in sin and need to turn from darkness to light.
What is the will of the Lord?
Don’t be foolish.
Seek the will of the Lord.
Don’t get drunk with wine.
- That is debauchery, dissipation, excess.
- That is wasteful living.
- Don’t be controlled by wine, be controlled by the Spirit.
Be filled with the Spirit.
- Be constantly filled with the Spirit.
- Be controlled by the Spirit.
- Be empowered by the Spirit.
To be filled with the Spirit of God is to take every thought captive to the obedience
of Christ (2 Co 10:5).
What are the results of being filled with the Spirit?
- Communication with one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
- Communication with the Lord by singing and making melody in the heart.
- Thanking God the Father continually for all things.
- Submitting to one another in the fear/reverance/awe of Christ.
Being filled with the Spirit creates harmony in relationships.
- Harmony with friends.
- Harmony with family.
- Harmony in the church.
Personal Application:
WOW!-What a radical difference the Holy Spirit makes in our disposition.
- How many people communicate with one another in this Spirit?
- How many people communicate with God in this Spirit?
- How many people thank God continually for all things?
- How many people submit to one another in awe of Christ?
- It isn’t hard to protect unity when you are filled with the Spirit.
- The filling of the Spirit is the difference maker in people.
- The results of the Spirit are undeniable.
Interactive Prayer:
Father, I pray that You will fill me with Your Holy Spirit each and every day. Give me a greater sensitivity to the Holy Spirit than ever before. Give me the ability to discern and obey the voice of the Spirit. Fill me with the Spirit and bear the fruits of the Spirit through me. I pray that we would quit being afraid of the Spirit. I don’t want any abuses of the Spirit, but I want everything You intend for me to have in the Spirit and through the Spirit.
Father, fill our people with Your Spirit. Give us the desire to pray for the filling of the Spirit daily. Forgive me for being too cautious about the Spirit. I think I’ve hindered the Spirit at times by being too cautious. I’ve hindered the Spirit at times by not trusting my discernment. Give me the wisdom to discern the Spirit and the faith to obey the Spirit. Fill our church up with the fullness of God. Fill us with the Spirit and make us people of goodness, righteousness and truth.
Father, the days are evil and we need to see and experience the power of Your Spirit right here, right now. Change the character of our people by filling them with the Spirit. Make us a church that bears the fruits of the Spirit and draws the city to You. Give us the privilege of blowing the winds of revival and spiritual awakening through our church to our city and country.
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