“Filling Your Tank With The Spirit"
Did you ever run your vehicle close on fuel?
As you drove you watch the gauge and wonder how far will it go.
And the whole time your sweating it and hoping that you can make it to a station.
You suddenly start thinking about running out of gas and all the pitfalls that go with it.
And if you do run out as you are sitting there you keep asking yourself, “Why didn’t I stop and get gas earlier?”
Now it is much simpler today because of cell phones and fuel injections on cars.
Before cell phones you were left with 3 choices:
You have to walk to the nearest house and ask for help.
You had to go on a search for a pay phone.
You have to walk to the next station.
And once you had the gas and put it in the tank you had to save some to pour in the carburetor, which meant removing the breather.
Then you hoped it would start before it blew up.
But if you were lucky enough to make it to the filling station you were so relieved and when you got back in the car and starting driving you starting getting cocky and thinking to yourself, “I knew I could make it!”
Well people sometimes get just a little too cocky with their Christian life and their tank is running low.
If that is the case with you I am here to be your gauge and warn you that you better be filling up.
The first warning I will give you this morning is that I will step on some toes, I will probably offend a few, I make even make a few people mad.
But you what, that is just what God wants me to do. Not that He wants me to anger anyone, He just wants me to be their gauge and tell it like it is.
Pray before turning to God’s Word.
Ephesians 5:15-21
Now some preachers when they preach use the word you but I would rather say we because when I preach, it is aimed at me as much as it is at you.
Paul warns us here to be careful how we live. Are we living the way God expects us to.
Now notice I said expects and not wants.
If we look at the way we live as what God wants it makes it sound like God has given us a choice.
Yes we had the choice of living however we wanted before we accepted Christ but after we made that commitment that choice should have been forfeited.
Once we confessed Jesus as our Savior, and made the commitment to repent and we were buried with Him in baptism, it should have became what God expects and not what God wants.
When you want something, the want is no longer there after you get it.
You want a new car and after you buy it then you expect it to do what it is supposed to do.
Jesus wants us to accept Him and then after we do He expects us to work for Him.
But in reality are we doing so or just going through the motions?
If we are only a Christian on Sunday because we attend church then we are just going through the motions.
God expects us to be Christians everyday of the week, not just on Sunday.
But what about the times other than Sunday morning worship?
In the 10th chapter of Hebrews we are warned not to forsake the assembling of ourselves.
The writer of Hebrews isn’t just talking about Sunday worship.
If we have an event here at the church we are still getting together in the name of Jesus so why should we forsake that.
Illustration: An athlete’s desire is to participate in a contest and win that contest for him or her self or the team whichever the case may be. But in order for them to be effective in a contest they must practice. Without practice they don’t have much of a chance to win. So they spend countless hours practicing just for the contest. As Christians we need to spend as much time as we can meeting together for the purpose of glorifying Christ and not just on Sunday morning.
Paul then says in verse 16 to make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Folks Paul isn’t saying here to live it up because tomorrow may never come.
He is talking about making the most of every opportunity for God.
In other words living the way He expects.
Helping others, witnessing to others, giving to others, being a witness to others.
Once we become His those outside of Christ or not following Christ are the others and in order for us to win them to Christ they need to see that Christ is in us.
Illustration: We know what a person is by their uniform. We can tell a policemen, or a chef, or a nurse by they way they are dressed. The Bible says when we accept Christ we put on Christ. We should put on Christ just like a uniform so people can take one look at us and see we are Christians.
If we use the Lord’s name in vain, we are not being a good witness.
If we enjoy hearing and telling filthy jokes, we are not being a good witness.
Anytime we are doing something that God doesn’t approve of, we are not being a good witness.
You know what we are doing? We are bringing shame to Christianity.
Illustration: We stand during the National Anthem and place our hand over our heart when we recite the pledge of allegiance to the flag. We do this to show honor and respect and we don’t desecrate the flag of our nation, yet when we call ourselves Christians and we don’t act like it we are bring shame to Jesus Christ.
That is why you hear people talk about so many hypocrites in church.
We need to make the most of every opportunity because God expects it.
Verse 17 Paul tells us we need to understand the Lord’s will. Do we understand His will?
If I were to come to each of you this morning and ask you what God’s will is would you know the answer?
God gave us this life on this earth at this time but do we know why?
Society thinks were here to make money and live a comfortable lifestyle.
If that is the case I wonder why the people of Israel had it so tough.
They were God’s chosen people yet they roamed the desert for 40 years eating manna, getting bit by snakes, living in tents.
What kind of lifestyle is that? We complain when the cable TV is out, or power goes off, or the radio in our vehicle won’t pick up a certain station.
Who are we trying to kid? God created us for a purpose and it was to serve Him!!!
Verse 18 Paul warns to not get drunk on wine because it leads to debauchery.
Debauchery means excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures.
Everyone knows that when the body consumes an excessive amount of alcohol the mind is affected.
People do things and say things when they are drunk that they normally wouldn’t do sober.
Paul says to be filled with the spirit. The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to lead us and if alcohol is affecting the way we think then the Holy Spirit is no longer in control.
Now even though Paul refers here to getting drunk on wine we also have a tendency to get drunk on other things, or being consumed by other things.
Sometimes it is work, sometimes it is pleasure.
Now God expects us to work, and He expects us to enjoy our life but when we put those things ahead of the Lord then our tank is running low.
When attending a sporting event is more important than being in the Lord’s House to worship Him our tank is running low.
When Christians get together to fellowship and we stay home so we don’t have to miss our favorite show on TV, then our tank is running low.
When the Holy Spirit is not part of the decisions we make then our tank is running low.
And you know something, the Holy Spirit will not stay where he is not wanted?
If we are not taking advantage of the Holy Spirit and using him for the reason God gave him to us he will leave us.
And when he does Satan moves in and takes permanent residence and has a field day.
Then Paul says in verse 19 to speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and to sing and make music with your heart to the Lord.
Why would Paul put this verse in with the ones we have already read?
Did you ever whistle or sing when you were in a bad mood or when everything was going wrong?
Illustration: If we have a flat tire on the way to work it would be extremely difficult to sing,
”Oh what a beautiful morning” wouldn’t it?
You know why we don’t do that? It is because our tank is running low.
Paul knows that if we are filled with the spirit then we can handle the things that upset us and usually it is other people.
So Paul wants us to have songs in our heart that makes us happy toward each other.
And when we do we will always be giving thanks to God for everything.
And finally Paul tells us to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Reverence simply means to have a deep respect for someone.
Now we should respect others but the key word here is deep.
We should have a deep respect for Christ and He is the only one is truly reverend.
I appreciate if you respect me but I don’t deserve to be reverend, no one does.
Everything Paul speaks of in these verses refers to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
If the Holy Spirit is not leading your life, then your tank is needs filled before it is too late.
INVITATION
