How to Get Filled and Stay Full of God’s Holy Spirit
Ephesians 5:18
Pastor
Craig Ledbetter
Sept 14,
2014 PM
Bible
Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I.
Introduction (Ephesians 5:18)
A.
Just a drop of anything is actually nothing
1.
I don’t want a drop of coffee – I want a cup of coffee that is filled
2.
I don’t want a bite of a sandwich – I want a sandwich that is filled with
loads of stuff
3.
I don’t want an empty church – I want a church that is filled! Amen?
4.
I don’t want just a sprinkling of God’s blessings – I want God’s blessings
in their fullness and overflowing!
5.
I don’t want just a bit of forgiveness – I am so glad God gave me a kind
of forgiveness that is FULL and MORE THAN ABUNDANT!
B.
Now turn it around - God doesn’t want just a bit of you and me, but all of
us!
1.
He wants to FILL us
2.
Yet too, too many make no room for Him in their thoughts, in their time,
in their wallet
C.
Let’s learn about being filled with God’s precious Holy Spirit
II.
Message
A.
There are
Different Spirits
1.
Unclean spirits – unholy spirits
a.
Satanic Spirits – thoughts that we think are right (Mt 16:20-23)
b.
Evil Attitudes
1)
Haughty spirit (Proverbs 16:18)
2)
Spirit of Anger, Revenge (Luke 9:52-55)
3)
Spirit of Jealousy (Numbers 5:14)
4)
Spirit of Disobedience (Eph 2:2)
5)
Spirit of Heaviness (Isa 61:3)
6)
Spirit of Whoredom/Adultery/Pornography/Lust (Hosea 4:12)
c.
Familiar spirits (Leviticus 19:31)
d.
Spirit of Fear (2Tim 1:7)
e.
The spirit of the antichrist (1John 4:3)
f.
Be careful that your wounded spirit (Prov 18:14), and
offended spirit and broken spirit does not become a playground for the DEVIL to
fill with anger, wrath, bitterness and ruin!
2.
And then there is the Holy Spirit
a.
Excellent spirit (Daniel 6:3; 5:14)
b.
Faithful spirit (Prov 11:13)
c.
Controlled spirit (Pr 16:32)
d.
The spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9)!
3.
We are always filled with some spirit!
4.
What spirit are you known for?
B.
Many Times
in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit Empowered an Individual – supernaturally
enabled them to do something they could not have done without Him!
1.
Gideon (Judges 6:34)
2.
Jephthah (Judges 11:29)
3.
Sampson (Judges 14:6,19; 15:14)
4.
King Saul (1 Sam 10:6-10)
5.
Young David (1Sam 16:13)
6.
Many others
7.
But God wants to do more than EMPOWER now
C.
The Holy Spirit is ALWAYS at work on us
1.
He Birthed You (1Peter 3:18)
2.
Humbling us – breaks us down first
a.
Not empowering us
b.
But breaking us down
3.
Convicting us
a.
He works to reveal OUR sins against God – we can easily see the sins of
others. It is OUR own sins that the Holy Spirit has to expose!
4.
Conquering us (1Chron 12:16-18) – bringing us under submission
a.
Breaking bonds of sin and temptation (Romans 8:13-15)
5.
Builds you (Eph 2:22) – adds to you everything you need to live and be a
wonderful temple for God to be praised in!
6.
Enables you and me to Bear one another’s burdens (Num 11:17)
a.
Gives us Compassion – Caring about others
b.
Carrying what others cannot carry at that moment
c.
Gives us calmness when someone is yelling at us – knowing that they are
not the problem (Eph 6:12)
7.
Leading us – showing us God’s will
8.
But most of all He wants to FILL us!
a.
To put in and occupy the whole of me
b.
To furnish – as in furnish a house, with every possible spiritual blessing
of God
c.
To inflate something that is empty and vain
9.
But he DOESN’T fill anyone who won’t LET Him!
D.
What would it be like if we were FILLED with the Holy
Spirit for extended periods of time?
Shouldn’t that be the norm?
1.
Jesus was FILLED (Luke 2:40)
2.
The apostles were filled (Acts 2:4)
3.
It is available to ALL believers (Eph 5:18)
E.
How to Get
Filled and Stay Full of the Holy Spirit
1.
Humble Yourself
(Isaiah 57:15; Ps 34:18; 51:17; 1Peter 5:5)
a.
It will be the hardest first step you ever take
b.
Constantly NOT reacting in your own interest
c.
Not becoming a wimp, but just not being there at all – honouring the other
person
d.
THAT is the container the Holy Spirit seeks to fill
2.
Worship the Person of Jesus Christ (John 16:13,14) – seriously worship Him
a.
Your body is a place of WORSHIP, no longer a place of WICKEDNESS (1Cor
6:19,20)
b.
Don’t worship the Holy Spirit primarily
c.
Stay in love with the Person of Jesus Christ (1Peter 1:8)
d.
Worship His Name, bow the knee to HIM!
e.
So, have right thoughts
f.
Use Right music (Eph 5:19)
3.
Be Thankful
(Eph 5:20)
a.
For everything – I cannot repeat that enough
b.
In the middle of the night, praise and thank God (Acts 16:25; Psalm 34:1)
4.
Desire a Biblical Purpose for the Holy Spirit in your
Life (Rom 12:6-8) – a reason to be emptied of your
filling!
a.
God fills a believer not so that they feel better about themselves
b.
But rather for a specific purpose (Luke 4:18,19)
1)
Soul-winning
2)
To BE like Christ
3)
To conquer a stronghold in your life
4)
To teach a Sunday School class
5)
To preach the Gospel
6)
To have courage
c.
Pursue the Filling, not the FEELING and the feeling will come!
d.
Remember, the purpose of your filling is to be emptied out again, and then
to go and get filled AGAIN, to be emptied again!
5.
ASK for His filling
(Luke 11:11-13)
a.
You NEVER need to ask for His presence - He already is in you (John 14:17;
Gal 4:6). He entered the moment you repented and believed the Gospel!
b.
But He should be in every area of your life: of your heart, thoughts,
actions, reactions
c.
In every room of your life – He has to be invited in to:
1)
Into your past
2)
Into your pains
3)
Into your secret sins
4)
Into your loves – He will tell you what should stay, and what should go!
d.
Ask, every time you think of it! ASK!
6.
Willingly Put-up with whatever God’s Will is for your
life – YIELD (Rom 12:1,2)
a.
People want God’s power, and God’s blessings, but they won’t put up with
God’s will
b.
Wherever God has you, serve Him THERE!
7.
Protect the Filling
– don’t grieve, hinder or frustrate Him in you (1Thes 5:19)
a.
Take note of when the Holy Spirit has filled you… And seek to protect it
b.
Guard your eyes! TV, the internet
c.
Guard your ears – no bad reports!
d.
Guard your tongue
e.
Guard your time – make time for your walk with God