The Holy Spirit and the Church Today #2

Let me ask you a question. Are you filled with the Spirit of God? Do you love the Word of God enough to receive it and to obey it? That is the mark of the Holy Spirit. Today, Don continues our series, The Holy Spirit Today, with part two of a message titled The Holy Spirit and the Church Today. Last time, Don introduced us to the first two of four aspects of the Holy Spirit's work corporately in the Church, empowerment and instruction. On today's program, Don will teach about the works of filling and unity. So have your Bible open and ready as we join our teacher now in the truth pulpit.

We saw his work of empowerment, the work of instruction. Now we're going to look at the Spirit's work of filling. The Spirit's work of filling. And as I'm speaking here, I invite you to turn to the book of Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5. Christians are to be filled with the Holy Spirit as their pattern of life. And you say, what does that mean?

What does that look like? Well, let's take a moment to unpack this. It is the will of God for us. Verse 17 of Ephesians chapter 5. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

What is that will? Paul describes it. He expands on what he's saying in verse 18. He says, And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.

Don't be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit. These are parallel concepts that help us understand what Paul means by being filled with the Spirit. And just lightly saying it, what do we say about a man who is filled with alcohol? We say that he's under the influence, right?

People are convicted multiple times each day, arrested multiple times each day for driving under the influence, under the influence of illegal drugs, under the influence of alcohol. Well, to be filled with the Spirit is a rather daring analogy that Paul makes. To be filled with the Spirit is to be under his influence.

It's to be under his influence. And you see the mark of that influence in verse 19, where it says, I have a couple of things to say about this. First of all, I want you to see that when Christians are filled with the Spirit, I want you to see that when Christians are filled with the Spirit, this is a really crucial observation for you to grasp, because I said we're talking about the work of the Spirit in the context of the local church, the corporate work, the corporate mark of the work of the Spirit. Notice that being filled with the Spirit results in personal interactions within the body of Christ. Verse 19, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks for all things.

Verse 21, and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. And so you see, beloved, this is a really crucial point that needs to shape and inform your thinking about involvement in the local church. A true Christian who is filled with the Spirit has a presence and an involvement in the local church. He has a presence and an involvement with the people of God, because the Spirit of God who saved you, so you say, brings you into relationship when you're under his influence, brings you into relationship with other believers who he has also saved, who he is also working in. And so you are drawn like a magnet when you are filled with the Spirit.

You are drawn like a magnet to others who are similarly filled. And you carry out, you carry out a responsibility of love with them, where you speak to them in edifying ways, you worship together in song with them, and you live in mutual submission, mutual care, mutual deference, with one another, with one another, with one another. The idea of a Spirit-filled Christian existing in self-imposed isolation because he wants nothing to do with the church is a contradiction in terms.

It is a non-entity, it is an oxymoron. Those who are truly saved by Christ love the other people that Christ has also saved and wants to give of himself, wants to give of herself as an overflow of love and gratitude for the way that Christ has blessed them. Christ saved us to make us servants of his people in one way or another.

Christ didn't come from heaven to earth and to give his life as a ransom for many, he didn't come to be served, but to serve, he said, well the one who shares in his Spirit is going to have a similar-like manner of service attitude directed toward the people of God. Somehow, somewhere, I won't try to quantify or define that for you, but beloved, it's there and it's unmistakable. Those are the results of the influence of the Spirit of God, but we're still left with, well, how does he exercise that influence?

Oh, and now it gets really sweet. Look over at a parallel passage in Colossians chapter 3. Colossians chapter 3. And as we read in Colossians, we find this work of the Spirit, this relational aspect to the Christian life being laid out for us in Colossians chapter 3 verse 12, where the Bible says, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing, here it is, with one another, forgiving, here it is, each other.

Whoever has a complaint, here it is, against anyone, just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Beloved, how can anyone think that they're living the Christian life of love for one another when they reject association with other Christians?

This is foolishness of primary magnitude. And so we see the relational dynamic and we see what that relational dynamic is to be characterized by. What is it to be characterized by? Compassion, kindness, forgiveness, love, gentleness, patience, bearing with those who have offended you for the sake of the Christ who bore your offenses at the cost of his own blood of Calvary. Now, but what is the operating dynamic within the heart that shows the influence of the Spirit? Look at verse 16. Paul says, let the word of Christ richly dwell within you.

Oh, now this is interesting. In Ephesians 5, which he wrote at the same time as he wrote Colossians, he says, be filled with the Spirit. And then there were these consequences of body life that flowed out of them. Here in Colossians 3, written at the same time, he says, let the word of Christ richly dwell within you. And then he goes on to describe the identical effects of the word of Christ that are described of the results of being filled with the Spirit. He says, with all wisdom, verse 16, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God, giving thanks through him to God to the Father, verse 18, wives be subject to your husbands, husbands love your wives. It's the exact same structure that you find in Ephesians chapter 5. What does that tell us?

Mark it carefully. To be filled with the Spirit is the same as letting the word of God dwell richly within you. And we know that because the Spirit described results of the filling and the dwelling of the word are the same.

The outcome is the same. So to be filled with the Spirit is to be believingly receptive to his instructing work through the word of God. To be filled with the Spirit is to have an eager desire to receive it, to receive God's word, to have it influence you, to have a disposition of obedience toward what the Spirit of God himself has given. And so let me ask you a question.

Don't answer too quickly. Are you filled with the Spirit of God? Here. What is the disposition of your mind and heart toward the word of God? That's the question to mark whether you're filled with the Spirit or not. Ask yourself, to answer the question are you filled with the Spirit is to answer this question, beloved. Do you love the word of God enough to receive it and to obey it? That is the mark of the Holy Spirit. Because just as the Son obeyed the Father in coming to earth, just as the Spirit gave the word of God through his out-breathing work upon the men who wrote it, so what the Spirit produces according to Scripture is a heart that is receptive to the word of God, that loves it, that has it in its affection and seeks to obey it.

Imperfectly, of course. If it required perfection, I would have to step down right now. We understand that our obedience is imperfect, but the question is where is your heart affection, where is your disposition toward the word of God? Since we're talking about corporate things, let me step back as pastor here and say corporate things. I am very grateful to be among so many who love the word of God like you do. Some of you have relocated your entire lives simply in order to be a part of a ministry of the word, and I'm grateful for those of you that have done that. Some of you undertake long commutes to be with us that other people think is crazy. Why would you drive that far? Why would you pass by so many other churches?

Why not just go to one in your neighborhood? Well, you do it because you desire the word. That's why you come. And it's a privilege for an unworthy servant like me to preach to such like-minded believers.

It is. Others of you come without the support of your loved ones. You would be here with your family if only they would come, but they don't. But you love the word of God. You love the fellowship of the saints enough to come even though it means you come alone. Bless your heart. I say that soberly and earnestly.

Bless your heart for that. Why do I say that in this context of a message on the Holy Spirit today? Because the mark of the Spirit is that kind of love for the word of God. It manifests itself out in some kind of seeking out of the word of God. And that should be a great encouragement to you if that's you. That you're willing to get up early, that you're willing to drive a long way to be here with us. Now, admittedly, we have a few who seem to take the word of God and leave it as it suits their personal convenience.

Okay, whatever. Yet the prevailing spirit, I believe, in this body, in this church, as I look out on these faces, shows the work of the Holy Spirit. Because there is an evident desire in your corporate heart for the word of God. And for that we give thanks to God. We take no glory to ourselves.

We ascribe no ability to the primary speaker. We look at that. We look around. We see like-minded believers and we say this is a mark of a work of the Spirit of God. Praise God for that. That in the midst of this fallen, wicked, decrepit world, there are people who have supernatural affections for godly things and it shows by the way that they shape and arrange their lives. Praise be to God. Now, there's a fourth and final aspect of the work of the Spirit, which I'm calling the work of unity. The work of unity. You know, back in March of 2017, I preached a message titled, Putting the You in Church Unity. You might look for that message if you're new to our church because this is just a very brief thumbnail of it.

Beloved, open your heart to the word of God and what I'm about to say. Because what I'm about to say is really, really important. Really, really critical. Easily overlooked. Easily diminished.

Easily pushed aside because it's inconvenient and it's uncomfortable at times. When the Holy Spirit is truly at work in a church, you see unity in the body. You see unity in the body. You see harmony in relationships. You see a mutuality of love that is the mark of the work of the Spirit of God. Look at Ephesians chapter 4 with me. Ephesians chapter 4. Paul, after three great chapters describing the greatness of salvation in Christ, he goes into prayer.

Oh, this is so sweet. Pull up a chair and get comfortable. Ah, you are sitting down.

Good. After saying all these things, Paul turns to prayer in Ephesians chapter 3 verse 14. And he says, For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man. So this is all of what we've been talking about. So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith and that you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints.

There's this corporate dimension to it again. What is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Paul says, Having taught you about salvation in these prior three chapters, I'm now praying that the Spirit of God would strengthen you to understand it and to dwell and to live in the midst of the reality of it, in the overflow of the reality of these truths. That is an apostolic prayer for the church that this is the way it is to be and this I seek the blessing of God upon you for. I ask God to do this work, Paul says. Well, after he's prayed this magnificent prayer, what does he talk about?

What is the overflow of it? What are the commands that come from the intercession? Chapter 4 verse 1, Therefore, in light of what I've said in these prior three chapters, in light of my more immediate prayer that you would be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner man. Here's where that leads to.

Put all of these things on the table. This is the overflow. This is what comes out of it. Paul says, Therefore, I, the prisoner of the Lord, I implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.

Okay. What would that look like, Paul? With all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love. Do you see it again? One another, corporate dimension, mutual relationships within the body of Christ.

Do you see it? You cannot separate these two. You cannot separate salvation and say that I have salvation.

Let me put it this way. To say you have salvation has implications that lead you into the body of Christ and into the one anothers. With certain attitudes, hard attitudes, hard dispositions toward those in the body of Christ.

With humility and gentleness and patience, showing tolerance for one another. What do you want from us, Paul? What do you want from us, God? This is your word, this is your church, this is your salvation. What is it that you want?

What's foremost in the application? Verse 3, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Confident, unity, harmony, free, open, transparent, caring relationships with one another. When the Holy Spirit is at work, you see that kind of unity being manifested. Look at Philippians chapter 2, verse 1, and we'll work to apply this in a moment. Philippians chapter 2, verse 1, therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if you share in the Spirit together, if any affection and compassion make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in Spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind, regard one another, there it is again, regard one another as more important than yourselves. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. This corporate effect of the work and presence of the Spirit shows itself in unity, shows itself in harmony, shows itself in loving relationships. As we saw earlier, the filling of the Spirit has a corporate effect that we need to understand, that we need to respect, that we need to advance and develop. That's the positive side.

You can see this in a negative way also. Look at Ephesians 4 verse 30. Ephesians 4 verse 30, you can turn back there with me. Ephesians 4 verse 30 says, Do not, here's the negative side of it, do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Don't grieve Him. He's a person. He's not just some impersonal force, He's a person who can be grieved.

Well, how is it that we would grieve Him then? What is it that would, that would sadden the Spirit of God, so to speak, speaking in anthropopathic terms? Verse 31, Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you along with all malice. Wow.

Wow. When we talk about sin, generally speaking, for many, outside the walls of this church and perhaps even within it, you know, you go to the areas of sexuality or abortion or things like that and, you know, there's plenty of room for sin there, but what you need to see is that when Paul spoke of the greatness of salvation, his exhortation was to unity. When Paul said, Don't grieve the Spirit of God, his exhortation was against the things that would disrupt unity, that would bring poison into relationships, bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander. Put it all away, he says, along with all malice.

And then he ends with the contrary, the positive side. He says, In opposition to that, so that you will not grieve the Spirit, be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. The unity of which Paul speaks is a unity that is rooted in the love of Christ, in the example of Christ where he gave himself up, where he gladly forgave you of all of your greater sins against him. Now he says, You live out by showing forgiveness, love, kindness, and compassion to those within the body who have somehow bothered you. Even sinned against you, forgive them. You sinned against God, and God forgave you. Don't you see the inevitable spiritual force that says, Therefore, if you've been forgiven as a person, you become a person of forgiveness, of kindness, of tenderheartedness.

Don't grieve the Spirit by being something else other than that. Today on The Truth Pulpit, Pastor Don Green has wrapped up a message titled The Holy Spirit and the Church Today, part of our larger series, The Holy Spirit Today. Next time, we'll begin a look at the apostles and sign gifts, and we hope you'll plan now to be with us.

But first, Don's back here in studio with some closing words. Well, you know, my friend, I feel very blessed by God to be able to do what I do. I have a church that is loving and supportive of me, that love to hear God's word. I have this radio broadcast. I have the opportunity to speak to you in a personal manner like this.

What a wonderful gift that is. You know, I would just encourage you, if the Lord ever brings us to your mind, pray for us. We're like all men in ministry.

We feel our inadequacy. We realize that we need the power of the Holy Spirit to attend the work that we do so that there would be eternal fruit for your good and for the glory of Christ. So pray for us as the Lord brings us to mind. Pray for those that support The Truth Pulpit with the labor of their hands. We have a wonderful team, and we're just so grateful for you as you listen to us day by day on The Truth Pulpit. Thank you, Don. And friend, don't forget to visit us at thetruthpulpit.com to learn more about our ministry. And you can also learn more about podcasts and free CDs of Don's teaching. That's all at thetruthpulpit.com. I'm Bill Wright, and we'll see you next time on The Truth Pulpit as Don Green continues teaching God's people God's Word.