Last week, we celebrated the 6th Anniversary of Waterford Gospel Church.
However today, we celebrate another anniversary, it is the anniversary if
the Church Universal. Today is Pentecost Sunday, or Wit Sunday, as some
call it, marking the birthday of the Church at Pentecost.
With this in mind, I want to draw your attention to an important and vital
truths, regarding the Fulness of the Spirit.
The 1st Church, we have noted, was a Submissive Church, and a Steadfast
Church, and a Sharing Church. But the 1st Church was also a SPIRIT FILLED
CHURCH. The effectiveness of the 1st Church is revealed in the fact that
it was Spirit Filled. Therefore, every Christian, who will be effective
for God, must be Spirit Filled.
God has a Divine purpose, which He is working out through his Church, and
in order for God to work out that purpose, the Church MUST be endued with
a divine equipment. That Divine equipment is bound up in the Fulness of
the Holy Spirit.
It was A. W Tozer who said,
The popular notion, that the first obligation of the Christian Church
is to spread the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth is false!
Her first obligation is to be spiritually worthy to spread the Gospel.
Jesus put it like this, as he spoke to the fledgling Church, Acts 1:8;
You shall receive POWER, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon
you, and You shall be WITNESSES unto me both in Jerusalem, and
in Judea, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth
In John 16:7, Jesus predicted the coming of the Holy Spirit, He said,
But I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away; for if
I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you. But if I depart, I
will send Him to you
COMFORTER - PARAKLETOS, one who comes along side to help, an advocate, in
a legal sense a counsel for the defense.
ALLOS - Another of the same sort
The coming of the Spirit, radically transformed the Infant Church. Peter,
for example, who had previously denied the Master, was radically
transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. As he preached on the day of
Pentecost, about 3,000 souls were added to the church. The church, that
was fearful, and in hiding in the upper room, became bold and dynamic in
the power of God. They had this testimony, ‘These are they that have
turned the world upside down!' (Acts 17:6)
With this in mind, on this the Birthday of the Church, or Wit Sunday, as
some call it, let's take some time to discover what God has to say about
the FULNESS OF THE SPIRIT. Turn with me to our text, found in Ephesians
5:18;
And be not drunk with wine....but be filled with the Spirit
1. A COMMAND to be OBEYED
Paul states, Eph 5:18;
....but be FILLED with the Spirit
The Fulness of the Spirit is not an OPTION but an OBLIGATION. When Paul
made this statement, it was in the IMPERATIVE MOOD, meaning that it is a
COMMAND to do something. The IMPERATIVE MOOD expresses a command to the
hearer to perform a certain action by the order and authority of the one
commanding.
An example of the IMPERATIVE MOOD is found in Acts 2:38, when Peter
responded to his Jewish audience and said,
REPENT and be baptized everyone of you
This is the WILL OF GOD for every believer, not just a select few. Note
Paul's word's in Eph 5:17;
Do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is
Writing to the Thessalonians Paul said, 1 Thess 4:3;
This is the will of God even your SANCTIFICATION (HOLINESS)
It was A.W Tozer who said,
The Spirit filled life is not a special deluxe version of the
Christianity. It is part and parcel to the total plan of God for his
people
Paul prays for the Ephesians, 3:16;
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be
strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man
This experience is so important, that Paul prayed for the Ephesians, 3:19;
That you may be filled with all the fulness of God
A. INDWELT with the Spirit
At the moment of conversion, the Holy Spirit takes up RESIDENCE in our
lives, and we are INDWELT with the Spirit.
Paul states in Rom 8:9;
If any man have not the Spirit of Christ
he is none of His
And again in Eph 4: 30;
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you
were sealed for the day of redemption
SEAL - A pledge or a guarantee, of a purchased possession. An engagement
ring, a covenant between two parties. As the various shipments of lumber
would come into the harbor at Ephesus, the owner would seal his particular
shipment, to show that it was purchased and that it belonged to him.
Note, the Holy Spirit is a PERSON, He is God the Holy Spirit, the blessed
third person of the trinity.
When Peter confronted Ananias for his hypocrisy, he made an interesting
statement, Acts 5:3-4;
Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Ghost .....You have
not lied to men, but to God
B. INTOXICATED with the Spirit
Be not DRUNK with wine, but be FILLED with the Spirit
The word translated DRUNK, means to become INTOXICATED. Homer used this
word to describe the stretching of a bull's hide to make it more elastic.
In order for this to happen, it was SOAKED in fat. The word SOAKED and the
word DRUNK, are the same Greek word, METHUSKO. Therefore, it means to be
SOAKED in Wine, to be throughly INTOXICATED with wine. We are to be
INUNDATED with the Spirit!
This was a common sight in Asia in general, and in Ephesus in particular.
Paul uses this analogy to illustrate the Spirit's fulness in our lives.
The Greek word translated FILLED, is the word PLEROO, meaning to fill to
the top; to cause to abound, to furnish or supply liberally, to flood, to
defuse without. God wants us to be God intoxicated men and women!
Luke records that Stephen the first Christian Martyr was, Acts 6:5;
A man full of faith and the Holy Ghost
Faith filled Stephen, in the sense that it controlled him; the Holy Spirit
filled Stephen in the sense that he CONTROLLED Stephen. The word FILLED,
literally means, CONTROLLED.
It was the late Stanley Banks who said,
The fulness of the Spirit is the fulness of possession
Illustrate - Alan Redpath
Two daughters, ‘I've have all there is of Daddy!' ....'Daddy has all
there is of me!'
At conversion, we receive all there is of the Holy Spirit, now he wants
all there is of me! At conversion, the Holy Spirit is RESIDENT, but now He
wants to be PRESIDENT!
Illustrate - D.L Moody
Moody was scheduled to have a campaign in England. An elderly pastor
protested, "Why do we need this ‘Mr. Moody'? He's uneducated,
inexperienced, etc. Who does he think he is anyway? Does he think he has a
monopoly on the Holy Spirit?"
A younger, wiser pastor rose and responded, "No, but the Holy Spirit has a
monopoly on Mr. Moody."
Illustrate - William Booth
The secret of His success, ‘God had all there was of William Booth'.
1. A COMMAND to be OBEYED
2. A CONDITION to be MAINTAINED
We must not only OBEY the COMMAND, but we must MAINTAIN the CONDITION of
FULNESS. The fulness of the Spirit is not just a once of experience. The
fulness of the Spirit is to be our daily experience.
The Scriptures teach that there is,
One baptism, but many fillings
This truth is UNDERSCORED in Eph 5:18;
But be FILLED with the Spirit
This statement is in the PRESENT IMPERATIVE , meaning that it is an
ongoing experience. It literally reads, ‘BE BEING FILLED WITH THE
SPIRIT' or ‘BE CONSTANTLY BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.'
Kenneth Wuest put's it like this,
Be constantly, moment by moment,
being controlled by the Spirit
In Act 2:4, we read the following information about the infant church,
They were all filled with the Holy Ghost
And again in Acts 4:31;
They were all filled with the Holy Ghost
1. A COMMAND to be OBEYED
2. A CONDITION to be MAINTAINED
3. A CHRIST to be GLORIFIED
We must ask the question, what the is the PURPOSE of Fulness of the Holy
Spirit?
That question will receive a wide and varied response. However, the
Scriptures teach that the PRIMARY PURPOSE of the Spirit's Fulness, is not
some emotional shot in the arm that put's me on cloud nine.
The PURPOSE is summed up by Jesus in Jh 16:14;
He shall glorify Me!
The chief office of the Holy Spirit is to bring glory to Christ. God wants
to fill me so that my life might bring glory to Christ!
Some modern Greek Scholars have likened the Fulness of the Spirit, to a
modern Battle Ship, armed to the teeth, and equipped for battle.
The Christian life is not an emotional pic-nic, it is a spiritual
conflict.
God want to fill me, so that I may cope with the pressures of life!
In Jh 7:37-38 the Saviour makes an interesting statement,
If anyone thirsts let him come to Me and drink.
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said,
out of his belly will flow rivers of living water
Jesus made this marvelous declaration on the last day, the 8th day of the
feast of Tabernacles.
On each of the seven preceding days water was drawn in a golden pitcher
from the pool of Siloam and carried in procession to the temple and
offered by the priests as the singers chanted #Isa 12:3: "With joy shall
ye draw water out of the wells of salvation."
However, the eight day was known as the ‘Water less Day'. It was the
day when no water was drawn from Siloam. It was on this day that Jesus
cried, ‘If anyone thirsts ....'
4. There are CONSEQUENCES that will be APPARENT
As we have previously noted. the coming of the Spirit, resulted in a
marked change in the 1st Church. When God takes full possession of your
life, there will be unbelievable results!
It makes a fascinating study, to ponder the all the references in the Book
of the Acts, and observe the manifestations that followed the fulness of
the Spirit of God.
Consider then, the RESULTS of the Fulness of the Spirit;
1. Fearlessness in Speaking for Christ
Acts 4:31 states;
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke
the word of God with BOLDNESS
This is in accord with the prediction that Jesus made in Acts 1:8;
You shall receive POWER after that the Holy Ghost
is come upon you and you shall be WITNESSES unto
Me in Jerusalem, and in Judea and in Samaria, and unto
the uttermost parts of the earth
This word BOLDNESS, is the translation of the Greek word, meaning, to
speak with free and fearless CONFIDENCE. It is interesting to note that
this word BOLDNESS is used frequently in the Book of Acts, and is used
repeatedly in reference to Peter, who a few weeks before had shamefully
denied the Lord.
For example Acts 4:13, we read of the Elders, High Priests and the
Scribes;
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they
were uneducated, common men, they wondered; and they recognized that they
had been with Jesus
Stephen Olford commenting says,
This ..... demonstrates the miraculous change that takes place
when the Holy Spirit fills a life
1. Fearlessness in Speaking for Christ
2. Joyfulness to Singing for Christ
Acts 2: 46,47 states,
They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad
and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor
of all the people
And again, Acts 13:52;
And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit
A Spirit Filled life, is a JOY filled life. When we are not walking with
the Lord, one of the first things we forfeit, is our JOY! David realized
this when he prayed in Psalm 51:12;
Restore to me the JOY of Your Salvation!
A spirit filled life, will express it's praise to God in a song. The
Psalmist David could testify to this when he said, Psalm 40:3;
You have put a new song in my mouth a hymn of praise
to our God. Many will see it and fear and put their
trust in the Lord
Zachariah, the Father of John the Baptist, also experienced this after he
was filled with the Holy Spirit, Luke 1:67-79;
And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied,
saying, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and
redeemed his people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the
house of his servant David .....
In Ephesians 5:18, Paul admonishes us to be ‘Filled with the
Spirit', however, notice, Eph 5:19-20, he underscores the results;
Speak to one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord
Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,
in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ
Paul and Silas exemplified this in Acts 16, after they had been severely
flogged, and thrown into prison in Philippi. However, we read in Acts
16:25, with their feet securely fastened in stocks, that;
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing
hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them!
1. Fearlessness in Speaking for Christ
2. Joyfulness in Singing for Christ
3. Holiness to Shine for Christ
Jesus put it like this in Matt 5;16;
Let your light so shine before men, that they
may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven
In other word, we are to mirror and reflect the Light, who is Christ. Our
lives are to shine, with the brilliance of His glory.
Illustrate
A child was taken by her mother to see a famous Cathedral, as an afternoon
trip. As she saw the sunbeams shining through the stained glass windows,
she asked her mom, ‘What are those people on the windows?'
‘They are Saints her mother whispered'. Then she was heard to say,
‘Now I know what saints are. They are people who let the light shine
through.'
A French Christian who was walking in such close communion with Christ,
that his face shined with Divine radiance. A religious skeptic who was
compelled to stay the night with him in an inn, hurried away the next
morning saying, ‘If I spend another night with that man I'll be a
Christian in the spite of myself!'
Peter and John were so CONTROLLED by the Holy Spirit, that Acts 4:13
states that the members of the Sanhedrin;
Were astonished and they took note that these men
had been with Jesus
A legalistic life, repels people, and turns them away from the Lord, but
there is something attractive about a Holy life. A life under the control
of God will be a life that is attractive, as we are adorned ‘In the
beauty of Holiness' ( 1 Chron 16:29)
Stephen exhibited this, when the Luke records in Acts 6:5, Stephen was;
...... a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit
Then we read in Acts 6:15,
All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently
at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel
Illustrate
Many years ago, some prospectors were panning for gold in the Mountains,
when one of them found an unusual stone. Breaking it open, he saw that it
contained gold. Working eagerly, the men soon discovered an abundance of
the precious metal. With unrestrained delight they shouted, "We've found
it! We've found gold! We're rich!"
Before going into town for supplies, they agreed not to tell a soul about
their find. While in town, not one of them breached a word about their
discovery. When they were about to return to camp, though, a group of men
had gathered and were ready to follow them.
"You've found gold!" the men shouted. "Who told you", asked the
prospectors. ‘No one", replied the men, "Your faces showed it!"
1. Fearlessness in Speaking for Christ
2. Joyfulness in Singing for Christ
3. Holiness to Shine for Christ
4. Willingness to Sacrifice for Christ
Luke states Acts 4:31-35;
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together
was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the
word of God with boldness.
Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and
no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but
they had everything in common.
And with great power the apostles gave their testimony to the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were
possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of what
was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet; and distribution was made to
each as any had need.
It was the late W.P Nicolson who said,
The last part of a man to be converted is his pocket!
When the Holy Spirit is in control of our lives, we then realize that what
we possess belongs to God. We are merely stewards of what God has
entrusted to us.
A believer who is not surrendered is mean spirited. But a believer who is
filled and controlled by the Spirit of God, becomes a generous individual.
Stephen Olford observes,
During times of revival financial or material problems
in the church often are solved
Illustrate - C.T Studd
When C.T Studd, the founder of W.E.C International, was 25 years of age,
he was set to inherit a small fortune from his late father's estate. As
far as he knew, he was to inherit some 29,000 pounds.
Having been directed by the Lord, for a period of two years prior to his
25th birthday, he decided to give away 25,000. One memorable day, Jan
18th, 1887, he sent four cheques for 5,000 pounds each and five cheques
worth 1,000 pounds each.
One of the cheques for 5,000 pounds was sent to D.L Moody, and was
instrumental in helping Moody establish the Moody Bible Institute, in
Chicago. That one investment, was instrumental in equipping thousands of
young men and women for the ministry.
After this tremendous act of generosity, C.T Studd was left with 3,400
pounds in his possession. Just before his wedding, he presented the money
to his bride to be, Precilla Stewart, to which she replied, " Charlie,
what did the Lord tell the rich young man to do?" "Sell all" "Well then,
we will start clear with the Lord at our wedding." The remainder of the
inheritance was prayerfully distributed to the Lord's work.
It was C.T Studd who wrote,
If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then there
is no sacrifice too great for me to make for him!
1. Fearlessness in Speaking for Christ
2. Joyfulness in Singing for Christ
3. Holiness to Shine for Christ
4. Willingness to Sacrifice for Christ
5. Readiness to Serve for Christ
The Apostles said, Acts 6:3, as they were seeking for the first Deacons to
be appointed to the Jerusalem church,
Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men
of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom,
whom we may appoint to this duty
And again, this fulness of the Spirit was a REQUIREMENT for Spiritual
Service, when God wanted two men for missionary service, Acts 13:2,4;
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
"Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called
them.....So they being sent forth by the Holy Spirit departed
Stephen Olford states,
How solemn and challenging it is to realize that no service
done for Christ without the fulness of the Holy Spirit
amounts to anything
The Almighty speaking through the Prophet Zachariah states, Zec 4:6;
Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,
says the LORD of hosts
6. Steadfastness to Stand for Christ
Acts 4:8,20 declares;
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the
people and elders
CONCLUSION
Let me ask you this morning, are you saved? Has the Holy Spirit taken up
residence in your life. If so, let me ask you a further question, does the
Holy Spirit REIGN supremely in your life? You may have all there is of
Him, but does He have all there is of You?
