Getting Filled vs. Being Filled
Read: Ephesians 5:18-21
We have all been told to avoid things. What are some things that you have been told to avoid or not do?
When I was a sophomore in high school the first Transformers movie was released. My mom had read a review on it and there were a number of things she did not like about the movie. Suffice it to say I was told to not watch Transformers… even though a friend of mine wanted to watch it with me. It would have been easy for me to follow my mom’s instructions to avoid the movie but I decided to disobey and watch it. I disappointed my mom quite a bit with that decision.
We aren’t only told to avoid things in life. We are also told to do things. What are some things that you have been told to do?
I began working at Target Westminster as a sophomore in high school and stayed at that store for three years. I was always being told when I would work. What days and times and even what I would do. 20 of my hours of every week were planned by someone else. But I was told to do it and I did.
In v. 18 did Paul tell the Ephesian Christians to do something?
V. 18 (HCSB) “And don’t get drunk with wine, which ⌊leads to⌋ reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit:”
He didn’t tell them to do something. Rather, he told them to be something. Then He lists things to do in vv. 19-21: sing to each other and to the Lord, thank God for everything, and submit to each other.
Why do you think Paul told these Christians to “be filled by the Spirit” (HCSB) before He told them some things to do?
If these Christians were not filled by the Spirit they could not do the other things properly.
Have you ever been told to be something?
Growing up I was often told to be an example for my younger siblings.
How difficult is it to be something? How do you go about becoming something?
Depends on what you want to become and how far away you are from it.
If you are a Christian you have already been submersed (baptized) in the Holy Spirit but Paul here tells us we need to be filled in order to follow the other commands. What do you think it means to be filled by the Holy Spirit?
Being submersed in the Spirit means that He is always with us and always available to us but being filled is letting the Holy Spirit consume us.
How do you think you can let the Holy Spirit fill you?
Be available to His work.
Do you think you can fill yourself with other things? If so, what other things are consuming you?
I often let my friendships consume my time and energy.
Abiding in the Culture:
“We’re shaped by the place and the manner in which we live. By living in a certain manner and in a certain place, we give permission for this shaping to take place, though most of us aren’t aware it’s happening.” (Jared C. Wilson in Abide).
In order to be moved by the Spirit you need to be available to the Holy Spirit. But by being available to the consuming nature of other things we push the Holy Spirit out of our lives and we make living for Christ even more difficult. Pretty soon Christianity just looks like a lot of Holy Homework rather than faith filled living.
Take a moment and reflect on what consumes you. Are you being consumed by anything other than the Holy Spirit? When has this happened and why? When have you been consumed by the Spirit? Why do you think that was?
Re-formation:
Philippians 2:12-13 (NASB)
“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
Imagine if Paul and Timothy had stopped writing after “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (NASB). What would be your reaction to a command like that without any hope?
I would probably spend most of my life trying to save myself from the consequences of my sin.
But Paul and Timothy did not stop there. They went on to write “for it is God who is at work in you…” (NASB). The command here was not to save ourselves but rather to work with God on demonstrating our willingness and service of faith. The Gospel is the message of God’s work in us by the blood of Jesus Christ!
“Often missing from my own spiritual formation attempts in the past was the central place of the good news of Jesus’ complete and sufficient work” (Jared C. Wilson in Abide).
We need to recognize that we are not working our way to God on our own. We are working with God to a better relationship. Your relationship with God and your availability to the Holy Spirit is a mutual effort.
The Gospel is our way out of the consuming cultural demands around us.
Sailing and Bearing:
“Being filled with the Spirit is like sailing. There are roughly 20 to 30 working parts on a sailboat, which means there are always plenty of tasks to accomplish when sailing. You will definitely break a sweat, and you have to stay attentive. But there is one thing you can’t control, and it makes all the difference in the world: the wind. You can hoist the sail, but only the wind can push a sailboat along.” (Jared C. Wilson in Abide).
Jesus used vines to illustrate the same thing. Probably because “the OT frequently uses the vineyard or the vine as a symbol for Israel, God’s covenant people… the OT prophets envisioned a time when God’s people would ‘blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit’ (Isaiah 27:6)” (ESV Study Bible; consult Isaiah 5:1-7 and 27:2-6).
Read: John 15:1-11
1) Pruned Branches (vv. 1-3)
Who do we need to abide in so that we can serve our Heavenly Father?
Jesus.
What allows us to “bear fruit” (NASB)?
God’s pruning. The Gospel (“the word which I have spoken to you” NASB) is what prunes us. If you are truly a Christian God has already prepared you to serve Him and He is using the same Gospel that brought you to salvation to continually prune and clean you.
2) Abiding in Jesus (vv. 4-7)
Are we the only one trying to “abide”?
No, both Jesus and His followers must want to abide together: it is a mutual effort (see esp. v. 5).
3) Bearing Fruit (vv. 8-11)[1]
Jesus does not want your faith to be nothing but holy homework (see vv. 10-11). “Obedience is not to be equated with drudgery; it is all about joy” (ESV Study Bible).
Fruit comes from abiding (v. 6) and abiding comes from bearing fruit (v. 10). See, this isn’t something we can even try to do on our own. Abiding in Christ, being filled with the Spirit, and working with God is something we do with God. We prime the parts of our spiritual sailboats and wait for the Spirit’s wind to propel us forward.
Applying Abiding:
Do you want to abide in Christ?
Do you want to be filled with the Spirit?
Do you want to work right beside God?
Are you pushing away unnecessary things that are filling you and distracting you from Christ?
Are you sitting in God’s presence all the time, waiting for Him to move you, change you, and work through you as He wants?
Get out a piece of paper and a pen or open up a word processor and make a list of what has been consuming you. Then write or type out how you can be filled with God instead of those unsatisfying things. If you are being consumed by something other than God you may or may not have to eliminate it from your life. The point isn’t to throw out the entertainment, sporting event, education, or social life (etc.) but rather to keep it from consuming you. Inside of you, replace the selfish endeavors with the presence and power of God.
[1] If you are confused about the translation “and so become my disciples” (NASB footnote) read John 8:31.
John 8:31 (NKJV) “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.’”
“Fruit bearing is evidence of being true believers, or being Jesus’ disciples” (ESV Study Bible).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Holy Bible: Holman Christian Standard Version. Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2009.
Wilson, Jared C. Abide: Practicing Kingdom Rhythms in a Consumer Culture. Nashville: LifeWay Press, 2010. 9-11. Print.
New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
Crossway Bibles. The ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008.
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
Read: Ephesians 5:18-21
We have all been told to avoid things. What are some things that you have been told to avoid or not do?
When I was a sophomore in high school the first Transformers movie was released. My mom had read a review on it and there were a number of things she did not like about the movie. Suffice it to say I was told to not watch Transformers… even though a friend of mine wanted to watch it with me. It would have been easy for me to follow my mom’s instructions to avoid the movie but I decided to disobey and watch it. I disappointed my mom quite a bit with that decision.
We aren’t only told to avoid things in life. We are also told to do things. What are some things that you have been told to do?
I began working at Target Westminster as a sophomore in high school and stayed at that store for three years. I was always being told when I would work. What days and times and even what I would do. 20 of my hours of every week were planned by someone else. But I was told to do it and I did.
In v. 18 did Paul tell the Ephesian Christians to do something?
V. 18 (HCSB) “And don’t get drunk with wine, which ⌊leads to⌋ reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit:”
He didn’t tell them to do something. Rather, he told them to be something. Then He lists things to do in vv. 19-21: sing to each other and to the Lord, thank God for everything, and submit to each other.
Why do you think Paul told these Christians to “be filled by the Spirit” (HCSB) before He told them some things to do?
If these Christians were not filled by the Spirit they could not do the other things properly.
Have you ever been told to be something?
Growing up I was often told to be an example for my younger siblings.
How difficult is it to be something? How do you go about becoming something?
Depends on what you want to become and how far away you are from it.
If you are a Christian you have already been submersed (baptized) in the Holy Spirit but Paul here tells us we need to be filled in order to follow the other commands. What do you think it means to be filled by the Holy Spirit?
Being submersed in the Spirit means that He is always with us and always available to us but being filled is letting the Holy Spirit consume us.
How do you think you can let the Holy Spirit fill you?
Be available to His work.
Do you think you can fill yourself with other things? If so, what other things are consuming you?
I often let my friendships consume my time and energy.
Abiding in the Culture:
“We’re shaped by the place and the manner in which we live. By living in a certain manner and in a certain place, we give permission for this shaping to take place, though most of us aren’t aware it’s happening.” (Jared C. Wilson in Abide).
In order to be moved by the Spirit you need to be available to the Holy Spirit. But by being available to the consuming nature of other things we push the Holy Spirit out of our lives and we make living for Christ even more difficult. Pretty soon Christianity just looks like a lot of Holy Homework rather than faith filled living.
Take a moment and reflect on what consumes you. Are you being consumed by anything other than the Holy Spirit? When has this happened and why? When have you been consumed by the Spirit? Why do you think that was?
Re-formation:
Philippians 2:12-13 (NASB)
“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
Imagine if Paul and Timothy had stopped writing after “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (NASB). What would be your reaction to a command like that without any hope?
I would probably spend most of my life trying to save myself from the consequences of my sin.
But Paul and Timothy did not stop there. They went on to write “for it is God who is at work in you…” (NASB). The command here was not to save ourselves but rather to work with God on demonstrating our willingness and service of faith. The Gospel is the message of God’s work in us by the blood of Jesus Christ!
“Often missing from my own spiritual formation attempts in the past was the central place of the good news of Jesus’ complete and sufficient work” (Jared C. Wilson in Abide).
We need to recognize that we are not working our way to God on our own. We are working with God to a better relationship. Your relationship with God and your availability to the Holy Spirit is a mutual effort.
The Gospel is our way out of the consuming cultural demands around us.
Sailing and Bearing:
“Being filled with the Spirit is like sailing. There are roughly 20 to 30 working parts on a sailboat, which means there are always plenty of tasks to accomplish when sailing. You will definitely break a sweat, and you have to stay attentive. But there is one thing you can’t control, and it makes all the difference in the world: the wind. You can hoist the sail, but only the wind can push a sailboat along.” (Jared C. Wilson in Abide).
Jesus used vines to illustrate the same thing. Probably because “the OT frequently uses the vineyard or the vine as a symbol for Israel, God’s covenant people… the OT prophets envisioned a time when God’s people would ‘blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit’ (Isaiah 27:6)” (ESV Study Bible; consult Isaiah 5:1-7 and 27:2-6).
Read: John 15:1-11
1) Pruned Branches (vv. 1-3)
Who do we need to abide in so that we can serve our Heavenly Father?
Jesus.
What allows us to “bear fruit” (NASB)?
God’s pruning. The Gospel (“the word which I have spoken to you” NASB) is what prunes us. If you are truly a Christian God has already prepared you to serve Him and He is using the same Gospel that brought you to salvation to continually prune and clean you.
2) Abiding in Jesus (vv. 4-7)
Are we the only one trying to “abide”?
No, both Jesus and His followers must want to abide together: it is a mutual effort (see esp. v. 5).
3) Bearing Fruit (vv. 8-11)[1]
Jesus does not want your faith to be nothing but holy homework (see vv. 10-11). “Obedience is not to be equated with drudgery; it is all about joy” (ESV Study Bible).
Fruit comes from abiding (v. 6) and abiding comes from bearing fruit (v. 10). See, this isn’t something we can even try to do on our own. Abiding in Christ, being filled with the Spirit, and working with God is something we do with God. We prime the parts of our spiritual sailboats and wait for the Spirit’s wind to propel us forward.
Applying Abiding:
Do you want to abide in Christ?
Do you want to be filled with the Spirit?
Do you want to work right beside God?
Are you pushing away unnecessary things that are filling you and distracting you from Christ?
Are you sitting in God’s presence all the time, waiting for Him to move you, change you, and work through you as He wants?
Get out a piece of paper and a pen or open up a word processor and make a list of what has been consuming you. Then write or type out how you can be filled with God instead of those unsatisfying things. If you are being consumed by something other than God you may or may not have to eliminate it from your life. The point isn’t to throw out the entertainment, sporting event, education, or social life (etc.) but rather to keep it from consuming you. Inside of you, replace the selfish endeavors with the presence and power of God.
[1] If you are confused about the translation “and so become my disciples” (NASB footnote) read John 8:31.
John 8:31 (NKJV) “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.’”
“Fruit bearing is evidence of being true believers, or being Jesus’ disciples” (ESV Study Bible).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Holy Bible: Holman Christian Standard Version. Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2009.
Wilson, Jared C. Abide: Practicing Kingdom Rhythms in a Consumer Culture. Nashville: LifeWay Press, 2010. 9-11. Print.
New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
Crossway Bibles. The ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008.
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
RSS Feed