 Blog PostsFriends         | What Are You Full Of? (Southern Missouri District Men's Retreat-Bruce McCarty-9/30/17-PM)WHAT ARE YOU FULL OF?Ephesians 5:18-21 New Living Translation (NLT) 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Acts 6:3 New Living Translation (NLT) 3 And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. Acts 11:24 New Living Translation (NLT) 24 Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord. 1. The Bible describes us as vessels or containers. 2. A container is defined by its contents. 3. You can be filled with many different things. 4. The Bible commands every believer to be filled with the Holy Spirit. 1) OBEDIENCE TO THIS COMMAND IS A PRIORITY 1. The Greek verb is in he middle voice. Not passive or active. 2. It is in the imperative mood. A command not suggestion. 3. It is in the present tense. Complete and continual. 4. It is in contrast to being filled with alcohol. Being filled with the Holy Spirit improves judgement. Being filled with alcohol impairs judgement. 2) OBEDIENCE TO THIS COMMAND IS PROVEN BY BEHAVIOR (The initial physical evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues.) 1. Engagement in joyful fellowship. 2. Participation in sincere and passionate praise. 3. Expressions of abounding gratitude. 4. Development of selfless relationships. 3) OBEDIENCE TO THIS COMMAND PROVIDES INCREDIBLE BLESSING Galatians 5:22-23 New Living Translation (NLT) 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! The characteristics that God wants in our lives are seen in the ninefold fruit of the Spirit. 1. The first three characteristics are upward. a. love b. joy c. peace 2. The next three characteristics are outward. d. patience e. kindness f. goodness 3. The last three characteristics are inward. g. faithfulness h. gentleness I. self-control You need to be filled with the Holy Spirit to develop these qualities in your life. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. |
