When The Spirit Has His Way - Part 1 of 2

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. A Christian has two choices, either keep living in the former ways of darkness or walk in the Spirit.

It's just that simple. Running the race of life is a lot easier when you have the Holy Spirit directing your path. Today, Paul's famous command that we be filled with the Spirit.

Stay with us. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, today we've come to some powerful commands from Ephesians chapter 5. Give us a preview of what happens when the Spirit has His way. Well Dave, when the Holy Spirit has His way, of course, it produces joy in our lives. That's why Paul goes on to talk about speaking to one another in hymns and spiritual songs. But it also, as you continue on that passage, helps us in our relationships, in the marriage relationship, for example.

When the Holy Spirit has His way, we exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. Now, to all who are listening, I want you to know that I have some very good news for you. What do you think is the worst decision that has ever been made?

Well, the good news is you didn't make it. As a matter of fact, the worst decision ever made was that of Adam and Eve in the garden, when they disobeyed God and put into motion some terrible consequences. I've written a book entitled, Making the Best of a Bad Decision.

It has to do with how to manage decisions that we make that we regret. I believe it'll be a tremendous blessing to you. Here's what you can do.

Go to rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. But now let us listen carefully as we continue our study in the book of Ephesians. A.J. Gordon, who was the founder of Gordon Divinity School, said that on one occasion he was walking along a field and noticed that in the distance there appeared to be a man pumping water. And as he got closer, he realized that it was not a man at all. It was actually a wooden figure that looked like a man, carved to be like a man, and the man was not pumping water but was being pumped by water because there was an artesian well, and as that water came through the ground, it was turning the mechanism that made it appear as if the man was pumping water. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have that kind of spiritual power where instead of you pumping, as it were, that within you there would be that artesian well that springs up into everlasting life?

Yet that's exactly what Jesus promised. He said, the person who comes to me, he says, and believes on me, it shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Imagine the possibility of spiritual power, spiritual power. You know, the Holy Spirit is called by Jesus, the Greek word is paraclete. And what that word means, it means somebody who comes alongside of, it's been translated as companion, the Holy Spirit is that, advocate, helper, all of those words are perfectly good translations. And maybe the reason we can't settle on just one word is because the Holy Spirit is many different things to us.

He is what we need. So, also, the Holy Spirit, as you know, dwells within Christians, and it is the intention of God that it is this Spirit that creates within us what is called the fruit of the Spirit. It's interesting in the Bible, you have a contrast between the works of the flesh.

The works of the flesh are these, and last time we read one of those lists, and it's not a pretty picture. But in contrast, it says the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace. It's the difference between a work and a fruit. You know, you can manufacture a television set, but you cannot grow a television set. And you can grow an orange, but you cannot manufacture an orange.

It's got to be grown. Now, that's an important distinction. What the Bible is saying is the Spirit of God within us causes us to grow Christ likeness. And that's why we're going to be introduced to the Holy Spirit today, whom we may know in some measure, but need to know in a better way.

And we're going to talk about this possibility of knowing something about his gentle control, gentle control. USA Today, if you ever read that newspaper, and apparently millions of people do, had an interesting article this week about spirituality. I don't have a direct quote, but it said that people are seeking a spiritual dimension to their lives, but they want to do it without any sense of condemnation, without any guilt, without any specific instructions, without any specific doctrines. They just want to do it on their own, and their spiritual quest will lead wherever it happens to lead.

It's really interesting, isn't it? Because on one level, of course, we're spiritual beings, and therefore we should be on a spiritual quest. But I want you to know that there are myriads, myriads of wrong roads when it comes to this business of spirituality. Because you see, the spirit world is a very vast world, and when you look within us and you want to be in touch with the spiritual powers without, you're not sure exactly what you are contacting. Today we're going to talk about the Holy Spirit. That's distinct from all the other options that are out there, and the best way for us to find out about the Holy Spirit is not to look within and begin our own spiritual journey, because that will mislead us.

It is to look without to the Scriptures and then build our lives around what they have to say. Well, I want you to know today that I'm really glad that you came. First of all, because it's always a delight to see you, even though I don't get a chance to talk to many of you individually, but I'm so glad to see you. I'm so glad for those who are in the balcony and everyone who's listening.

You know why? Because at the end of this message, I'm going to give you seven conclusions. You say, well, Pastor Lutzer, I hope that those conclusions begin near the beginning of the message. I'm going to give you seven conclusions, and when we are finished, we are all going to leave here today walking in the Spirit. That's the agenda that I've laid out, that we will leave here transformed by the Spirit's power, and we'll begin to walk in the Spirit.

And if we are already walking in the Spirit, we're going to walk more confidently. Now what I'd like to do is to ask you to turn to your Bibles, of course, to Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5, as you know, this is a series of messages on the book of Ephesians as we give an exposition of the text working through this remarkable, remarkable book. Last time we ended with verse 15 of chapter 5, be very careful then how you live, not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Don't be foolish, understand the Lord's will, and hopefully as we open God's book it will instruct us.

We know that it will instruct us as to what the Lord's will is. We're going to talk about wisdom today, that is the wisdom of walking in the Spirit and knowing the blessed Holy Spirit personally. Now what I'd like to do as we look at the next verses is this, and thank you for giving me permission to do it.

First, I want to talk about the effects of the Spirit and then when we get to those conclusions we will learn specifically how we can learn to walk in the Spirit's power. First of all, notice that the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, changes our desires. Verse 18, do not get drunk on wine which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Here's a person who is filled with a desire, filled with a desire for alcohol.

Some of you have lived with people like that. It's a life of shame, it's a life of debauchery, it's a life of cruelty and hardship and all kinds of shameful acts. But the man says I'm driven by it. What Paul is saying is don't be driven by these desires but be driven by a greater desire, namely to be filled not with wine, which is debauchery, but to be filled with the Spirit. What he's saying is substitute one desire, the desire for alcohol, with another desire and that is a desire for God, a desire for God. There's such a thing as being intoxicated by alcohol as you well know, but there's also such a thing as being intoxicated by God in the best sense of that expression. To desire God and to say I desire him more than I desire these addictions. You say, but Pastor Lutzer, if I could talk with you in your study, what I would do is look you in the eye and say this in a moment of honesty, that my desire for alcohol or my addiction is greater than my desire for God. Well, that may be true at times, but what you need to do in that instance is to walk by faith and to still choose God's way, knowing that in the end it is really the best, not just for God, but it is the best for you.

It's the best for you. It is the way of happiness. All that you need to do is to look at the end result of those who have followed the other direction with all of its, its bondages, its shame and its chains. So what you do is you get other people to pray with you that you might learn to walk in the Spirit and you discover that the pleasures of walking in the Spirit eventually are greater than any pleasures that the world could possibly offer or put in your path. What does it say in Psalm 16? In thy way there is fullness of life. In thy presence there is fullness of joy. At thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore. See, our problem is not that we seek pleasure.

That's okay, but we need to seek the right ones, the pleasures of God. Do you remember that story of Mel Trotter? It's a true story, you know, Mel Trotter, who became an evangelist. He was an alcoholic. And one day he snuck into the funeral home and went to his little daughter lying in a casket and took off her shoes and then went out of that funeral home and went to a saloon and presented the shoes to the man behind the counter and said, give me something to drink. Could you get any lower than that?

Maybe, maybe, but not much surely. But I want to read his words exactly. He said, I had taken everything known to science, resolution after resolution that I would quit. But, he said, one glimpse of Jesus Christ and I have never wanted another drink. Now I know that God sometimes allows people to struggle still with their addictions.

I understand that. It's not always just like Mel's experience, but I want you to know this, that if you're a believer in Jesus Christ, as God works in your life and you let him work in your life, it is possible for you to desire God more than it is those addictions and one glimpse of Jesus and the world begins to lose its allure and its power. Now don't miss Paul's point. When he says don't be filled with drink, with wine, he's not making so much a comparison as he is a contrast. Those who drink with wine, they lose control. They do silly things. They do things they regret later.

They do things that they would never do if they were in their right minds. That's not what the Spirit does in us. Instead of being out of control, the Spirit helps us with self-control. The fruit of the Spirit is self-control.

Self-control. Now, remember this, the work of the Holy Spirit of God in our hearts changes our desires. Instead of the desires of the flesh, we now have a desire for God and the Spirit can do that because he is a powerful Spirit. Now let's look at another effect that the Spirit has. He changes our emotions.

He changes our emotions. Notice it says, verse 19, speak to one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know, when it talks about speaking to one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, it's not as if when you and I communicate about something, I need to sing a song and you need to sing a song, because in which case I think our conversations would be somewhat limited, I tend to think, and short. But what it means is, is when you get together as God's people, you're singing together to one another, you are praising God, but of course the person who is really listening is the Lord, you are making melody in your heart to the Lord.

And we did that this morning. And Jerry explained to us psalms, hymns, spiritual songs. Let me give you an example of a psalm that might be sung. Come let us sing for joy to the Lord, let us shout aloud to the rock of our salvation, let us, that is together, let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song for the Lord is great and on and on and on.

That's what Spirit-filled people do. Now you look at the music of the world, they have their music too. A lot of it is awful, it's depressing music, it is oftentimes very, very impure and with all kinds of double meanings and even when it's relatively free of that, it is always that depressing feeling of alienation and the aimless wandering of people without God. But look at Christian music, that deserves a separate message, reaching the highest of choral interpretation and the highest of melody in our hearts to God. Only Christians can really sing.

Now why does Paul say this? First of all, because he is a, the Holy Spirit is a powerful spirit who changes our desires. He is also a joyful spirit who changes our emotions and joy is one of the indisputable marks of the Holy Spirit. I believe that Satan used to be a choir director. He used to lead the music in heaven. There's evidence in Ezekiel and Isaiah that he was responsible for taking the praise of all the angels beneath him and making sure that God got all the credit but he began to sneak some of it for himself. That was his great downfall, Lucifer's downfall. I want you to know today that the devil will never, ever sing again, never.

All that he will do is howl but he cannot sing. Singing, making melody in your heart to the Lord, belongs to believers who are filled with God's Spirit, filled with God's Spirit. And then he says giving thanks for all things. You know, a grumpy spirit, an attitude of anger and grumpiness is inconsistent with the filling of the Spirit. The Bible says that as it goes on to explain what the Spirit's filling is, it says being thankful in everything. Third, the Spirit changes our desires. He changes our emotions.

He changes our attitude toward others. Verse 21, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. And this will become relevant as we get to the next section in the next message.

But notice it says submit to one another in the fear of Christ. Should I submit to you? Yes, of course I should submit to you. Should you submit to me?

Yeah, you should submit to me. You know, the Greek word is hupotassa which means to get under the burden of somebody. So what happens is you should get under my burdens and help me lift them and I should get under your burdens and help you lift your burdens so that we are helping one another and with humility we come underneath one another to support and to encourage and to strengthen because there are some who have fallen and they need our help and even those who haven't fallen, they are the ones who are going through terrible, terrible times. And so we're there, we're there to encourage and to bear their burdens. Let me ask you something.

As a Spirit-filled person, and I'm speaking to you now, you know Christ as Savior and you know that you're indwelt with the Spirit and hopefully all of us walking in the Spirit, I have a question to ask you. Is it too much to expect that every single person listening to this message would at least have one other person whose burdens you are helping to bear? Is that too much to ask?

I don't think so. And we as husbands, as we shall learn later, we should bear the burdens of our wives. Sometimes we make life more difficult. We add to their burdens. We add to their burdens. We should be bearing and undergirding them and coming under their burdens and helping them and our children and those who are in the church. Have you ever met people who always make your burden heavier?

They do exist, not here in Chicago, but I was thinking of another state that I was in some time ago. Always I'm making the burden heavier. No. Make one another's burdens lighter and so fulfill the law of Christ. And you'll notice, Paul says, you do it out of fear of Christ. You know, one of the things that really impressed the pagans in the early centuries was this, that there was a whole strata, if there's a word like that, a whole group of different ways that people looked at one another. There were the slaves and they were in the lower rung and then there were others who were above the slaves and soon you have the slave owners and then you have the rich people and all of that.

And everybody was kind of in his own pigeonhole. The revolutionary truth of the gospel is this, that as God works in our hearts, we begin to look at one another, not in terms of our color, not in terms of our economics, not in terms of our education, not in terms of our abilities, but we see them as we see Christ. Now notice how far we've come. The Spirit changes our desires because he's a spirit of power. He changes our emotions because he's a spirit of joy. He changes our attitude toward one another because the Spirit is a spirit of caring.

He cares. And now the question is, and we've come down to it at last, what about this business of being filled with the Spirit? What do we need to know about it? Where do we begin?

How do we take those first baby steps? And now we come to the seven conclusions. Number one, being filled with the Spirit is a command. Do not be drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery. That's a command too. You're struggling with alcoholism, some addiction.

Stop it. And now comes another command, be filled with the Spirit. You say, well, I thought we had the option. Well, not if you're a believer and you want to be in obedience to God.

You don't have that option. It says be filled with the Spirit. Be filled. And so that's why I'm talking to everybody. I'm talking to young people. I'm talking to children if they can understand where we're at today. I'm talking to those who have walked with God for many years. I'm talking to those who are new to the Christian faith. I'm talking to you if you are a believer.

This command is for you. Be gently controlled by the Spirit. Perhaps you've heard me quote D.L.

Moody, who was the founder of Moody Church. He was asked why he had to be filled with the Holy Spirit so often, and he said, it's because I leak. We all have to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God repeatedly daily. I want to ask you a question heart to heart. Does God only bless people who make good decisions? Can he bless people who have made bad decisions?

Well, these are the kinds of questions and a whole lot more that I answer in my book entitled Making the Best of a Bad Decision. And for a gift of any amount, this book can be yours. Here's what you can do. Go to rtwoffer.com. That's rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. We've all made bad decisions.

Some are worse than others. But I show in this book that God meets us where we are. Remember to connect with us. Go to rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. You can write to us at Running to Win, 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60614. Pastor Erwin Lutzer with Part 1 of When the Spirit Has His Way, the 16th message in his series Between Heaven and Earth, taken from Ephesians. Next time, more about why every believer is commanded to be filled with the Spirit. This is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.