The captain of the ship cannot/should not touch the helm! Here’s the standard operating procedure for Navy ships:
The Navy SOP for ship driving:
CO approves the track.
Navigator gives track to the OOD.
OOD tells the Conning Officer where to go.
Conn gives the order.
Helmsman repeats it back.
Conn acknowledges.
One of my best friends, Andy, a Surface Warfare Officer (SWO), told me this:
The CO doesn't talk to the helmsman, the conning officer does that. The “conn” only tells the helmsman what the OOD orders the conn to do. The skipper would only give engine/rudder orders directly to the helmsman in an emergency or when the skipper has relieved the OOD/there is not a replacement OOD. The XO can do the same thing. The CO would very rarely jump past the OOD and conn to give orders to the helm for the simple reason that the OOD and conn have the best situational awareness (unless of course the skipper has been on the bridge the whole time).
Here's the point…
This is how God treats us. He gives us clear guidance for our life. We have the helm. From what I observe, it looks like people can choose to listen to God or reject him. Have you ever noticed that people can choose whether or not to obey? That they can never blame their actions on someone else? Why is that? Because God loves us too much to force his will on us. He gives us the freedom to choose. If we don’t listen to his Word, then we face natural consequences.
In the family of God, we can never be kicked out. But when we don’t follow what God says for our lives, our ship will be headed in the wrong direction and we could face some serious consequences. Collisions, allusions, running aground, and in worst cases sinking.
The famous poem Invictus, written by an atheist, ends with “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” Some people have the tattoo, “I’m the Captain of my ship.” In one sense I get it, and I’m not knocking your tattoo, but in reality, Jesus is the captain. We get to be the helmsman. And if we follow HIS clear orders, we’re always going to be headed in the right direction. That doesn’t mean there won’t be heavy seas and ships casualties; it just means we’ll be in the middle of God’s will. And there’s no safer place to be.
People weren’t created to be the captain of our ship. We weren’t designed to be isolated and independent. We weren’t designed to be No man/kid is an island. Lone rangers are dead rangers. I could go on and on. If there’s ONE thing that this “pandemic” taught us, it’s that we were created for community. As a body. As Christians we know this is the Body of Christ. One team one fight.
This brings us to our passage for today. Ephesians 5:18.
Ephesians 5:18 ESV
“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,”
Ephesians 5:18 NIV
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with Spirit,”
Ephesians 5:18 NLT
“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled the Holy Spirit,”
Ephesians 5:18 MSG
“Don’t drink too much wine. That cheapens your life. Drink the Spirit of God, huge draughts of him.
The Filling of the Holy Spirit
This passage can be confusing, but let’s break it down.
What does it look like when someone is drunk? They can’t control themselves. If someone is drinking and driving, they can be given a ticket for “driving under the influence (DUI).” Whatever filled them is influencing them.
We see this through the scriptures. Whatever fills people ends up influencing their behavior.
Example 1: In Luke 4:28-30 ESV, the people heard Jesus sermon and were “filled with wrath.”
“When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away.”
Example 2: In Acts 13:45, 50-52, the Jews were filled with Jealousy and kicked Paul out of their city. Later on Luke tells us the disciples dusted off their feet and were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
“But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him.
But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”
Read all throughout Acts, when people are filled with the Spirit, they do things that the Spirit would do.
“The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is now law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
The point: Whatever filled people, controlled/influenced them. If you fill yourself with enough wine/alcohol it will begin to influence your behavior.
Kids and adults. Listen. if you begin to fill your mind with junk, junk will start to come out of you. If you play enough violent video games, your behavior can start to become more violent. The music you put into your heart will influence your behavior. The movies you watch can and will influence your behavior. Always be careful what you watch and listen to and the friends you hang out with. Bad company corrupts good character.
Q: What is the means by which we are filled with the Spirit?
A: Keep reading. Verses 19-21 gives us the answer:
“addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
We do this in our house almost every night. Before bed we sing songs of praise. And when I’m submitted to the Holy Spirit I can feel the overwhelming presence of God. There have been times where Janette and I were singing with the kids and the Spirit stared to flow in our house and we were in tears just overwhelmed with the Joy of the Lord. There have been other times where I was playing the guitar and started yelling at my kids. That is the opposite of being filled with the Spirit. I was filled with another spirit.
The great thing about being filled with the Spirit is anybody can choose to be filled with the Spirit. It’s a command.
The Greek word for “be filled” is “plerusthe” it’s in the 2nd Person Passive Imperative. All that means is the person being filled is receiving the action (passive tense). They’re not necessarily doing the filling. Literally, they are commanded (imperative verb) to keep be being filled!” Hey believers, keep be being filled with the Spirt.
How? By addressing each other in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your hear, giving thanks always and for everything to God in the name of the our Lord Jesus Christ...
It’s important to note 4 other ministries of the Holy Spirit. I call them the R.I.B.S. Regeneration, Indwelling, Baptizing, and Sealing ministries. Unlike the filling, these are all one time, permanent ministries of the Holy Spirit. These are typically written in the aorist tense in the Greek, which is a fancy way to say past action with future ramifications. Meaning, they go on FOREVER (sandlot voice).
Regeneration - John 3:16/Titus 3:5 “He saved us...by washing of Regeneration…”
Indwelling - 1 Cor 3:16 “Don’t you know you are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells in you?”
Baptizing - Luke 3:16 “...He will baptize you with the Spirit…”
Sealing - Ephesians 4:30 “Do not grieve grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Remember, the command in Ephesians 5 is in the passive voice, indicating that the filling of the Holy Spirit is a gift which the believer can receive or reject, but cannot earn. Like everything else in the Christian life, the filling of the Holy Spirit comes one way: by grace through faith. The filling of the spirit can be lost by choosing to grieve or quench the Spirit through sin or apathy (Eph 4:30; 1Th 5:19). The believer in Christ regains it by choosing to confess, which results in being cleansed from all unrighteousness (1Jo 1:9; Pro 1:23).
Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Illustration
I liken the 5 ministries of the Holy Spirit to a glass of milk with Hershey’s chocolate syrup. I am like a glass jar. When empty, I really have nothing to offer to the world. It’s only when/if God fills me with his goodness that I have anything to offer others. The world is dying of thirst and God wants to quench their thirst through me. God decides to fill me with milk (i.e., salvation) (regeneration/indwelling/baptizing/sealing) and I am now a child of God. The filling ministry of the Holy Spirit is like introducing Hershey’s syrup into the milk. It transforms the milk and causes it to never look the same. When the syrup is stirred, everyone notices a difference. When not stirred, the syrup sinks to the bottom. When it is stirred again, the chocolate color comes back in full effect and others notice a difference.
We are called to keep the chocolate stirred up. Then we can pour our the goodness of God on others so that they might taste and see that the Lord is Good (Psalm 34:8).
So what does the filling of the spirit look like in the Church? Mutual submission (v21).
What does the filling of the spirit look like in marriage? Love and respect! (22-27).
What does it look like when a child is filled with the Spirit? Keep reading! (6:1-3). Obedience.
What does a Spirit filled dad look like? Keep reading! (6:4). A spirit filled dad does not provoke his children to anger. Dads, you know how we provoke our kids to anger? Yelling at them on Sunday morning at 8:30 to get the in the car, then getting here at 8:50 with a smile on your face saying “bless you to others” having not confessed your anger to your kids.
What does it look like in the workplace? (6:5-9). Mutual respect!
What does the filling look like in every day spiritual warfare? Keep reading. (6:12) “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places.”
WE CAN DO ANYTHING JESUS DID IN HIS EARTHLY MINISTRY!
Here’s a challenge I have for all: Name one thing that Jesus did in his earthly ministry that was not duplicated by another human being…
Was it his...
Power over nature? —> Matthew 21:21
Resurrect the dead? —> Acts 20:9
Forgive sins? —> John 20:23
The point: The believer can do anything that Jesus did here on earth because the believer possesses the SAME EXACT spirit that he did! Evidence? Romans 8:11. The Same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you and me and is giving life to our mortal bodies! We can do whatever Jesus did because we are empowered by the SAME EXACT HOLY SPIRIT. He didn’t have more of the HS than you or I do; he was just fully surrendered to the Spirit (i.e., he was fully surrendered to the Spirit).
How can we do that? Simple, if we keep be being filled with the Spirit, we will experience a strong presence of God and the power of Family! When a family is filled with the Spirit, the world changes.
“If you want to change the world, go home and love your family” - Mother Theresa
EXHORTATION
Are you wrestling in this are? Do you find yourself filled with ANGER, wine, or something else other than the holy spirit?
You know what anger is? It’s a charismatic worship service of the WRONG god.
Is that where your at? Let’s repent as a body of Christ. Let’s live like we’re all on the same crew on the same ship with the same captain! One team one fight. We’re in this together. All hands on deck. Full steam ahead. I read the end of the Bible… WE WIN! All we have to do is just walk in victory. Let’s act like we’ve won; because that is the reality. Jesus conquered sin and death and it is for freedom that Christ set us free (Galatians 5:1).
Let’s live out our mission statement: TO EXPERIENCE THE PRESENCE OF GOD AND THE POWER OF FAMILY.
WE (APPLICATION
Heritage family. Imagine what this looks like in your family, at your school, in your neighborhood?
When you go home today, the battle begins. Choose to be filled with the Spirit.
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