What are you filled with? Ephesians 5






Ephesians 5:15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity,because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In chapter 5, Paul turns his attention to the type of lives the believers at Ephesus should be leading.  Paul for these new believers it would be easy for them to fall back into old patterns of sin, just as it is with us today. He also knew that they had an opportunity to impact the world around them every day with every decision they made.  These decisions not only affect us but others around us. 

 Then, he uses the metaphor of having too much to drink to say, "Instead be filled (or get drunk) with the Spirit." Eugene Petersen translates verse 15 this way, "So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!" (The Message)

 Paul teaches them one of the ways they can do this is to worship together singing "psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit." Notice the wide variety of styles to worship God. Although we all might prefer a certain style of music, we 
need to be careful not to confuse a type of music with worship.  Paul even says "sing songs from the Spirit".  It would seem that some of our singing and worship might be orchestrated by the Holy Spirit.  Wouldn't that be cool.  I have seen this practice in some worship and healing conferences. It was different but helped me understand a different way of worshipping that was more free, less structured and dependent on God versus me.

 Where are you tempted to fall back into your old patterns of living before you surrendered your life to Christ?  Do you have a variety of worship experiences to broaden your experiencing of worshipping in the power of the Holy Spirit?  Paul tells us to continue to be "filled" with the Holy Spirit.  A fellow pastor friend likes to say in regard to the Holy Spirit, "When it comes to the Holy Spirit, like the coffee at Denny's, there are always re-fills!" 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 22 - Paul Sees the Light

Image
6  “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.   7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,  ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8  “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “  ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,  whom you are persecuting,’  he replied.   9  My companions saw the light,  but they did not understand the voice  of him who was speaking to me.  10  “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “  ‘Get up,’  the Lord said,  ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. This is the famous story of the apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  Paul was going there to persecute Jewish Christians and throw them into prison and he meets Jesus is a spectacular way.  Not only is he blinded by a briliant light, but he hears the Lord's voice audibly.  And the Lord asks him, "Lord, Lord why a...
Read more

Hebrews 6 - Have You Graduated From Elementary School of Faith Yet?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Hebrews 6 6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. The author once again picks up with the theme of moving on to Christian maturity.  He teaches them to move on from the "elementary" teachings about Christ. What does he mean by that?  He gives clues by citing repentance, faith, cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, and teaching on the judgment and resurrection from the dead. We might call these the basics of the Christian faith. If you read through the Apostle's Creed, which our church confesses in our 8am service, it contains many of these core doctrines.  Click here to see the Apostle's Creed Written Around “When we consider the...
Read more

2 Timothy 4 - Fight the Good Fight! Finish the Race!

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Timothy 4 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Paul gives a closing charge to Timothy. First of all, he is to preach the word. God's Word speaks to all situations and seasons. The Word of God will sometimes correct us. Our lives can get of out alignment with God's will as outlined in ...
Read more