ESC Worship - 2-11-2023
Getting in verse 18, Ephesians chapter 5 beginning and verse 18.
Bible says, we can start a 15 see then that you walk circumspectly, not as fool's but as wise Redeeming the time because the days are evil, therefore do not be unwise but understand what the will of the Lord is Verse 18 says, and do not be drunk with wine in which is dissipation, but be filled with the spirit more time and do not be drunk with wine in which is dissipation, but be filled with The spirit are titled for today is under the influence. Under the Influence Father in heaven, we thank you for your word and we pray that you would speak a word Lord to our hearts that God, that your word would not fall on deaf ears, hold unreceptive Hearts, but that our hearts would be open and receptive to the word of God. So God, that you would be able to speak life into each one of us today. In the name of Jesus. We thank you, we praise you. For your love and your grace, and for your word, in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Under the Influence, under the influence. One of the things that amazes me about God is that when there's something that God wants us to have, or to experience, God goes all out, even when he's communicating with us to help us to get it. Hey man, he goes all out and he uses many different devices, many different pictures and analogies. And and, and and he employs many vehicles of communication to reach us at all level. So we can, he can Elevate us from our level, to his level of Jesus albums. For reason, parables are everyday stories of everyday experiences that we go through from day-to-day. So that and he told Parables to teach important principles about spiritual things. Hey man, God things that we see and know and understand to help us to do to Grass the things. We cannot see with the naked eye, we do not know and do not understand. The familiar to teach us the unfamiliar. A man, God is a kind of God who would take something that you can see and relate to and appreciate to teach you the things that he did that in your human of mindset and understanding and wisdom to graphs, he would take the things, you understand, the teach you, the mysteries of spiritual things. A man God would take the language that we understand to teach us the things that the Heavenly things that are beyond our comprehension. And so we see God doing this even In this passage. Because Jesus when he came John, the Baptist says I baptize you with water but that's coming somebody after me mightier than me. Whose sandals. I am not worthy to untie when he comes. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire, everything else that Jesus did was in passing. Heal people in passing encourage people impacted, he forgave people in passing. Delete on the journey for the people being filled with god with his presents with his glory which man had lost when they sing, we all have sinned and what happened? We fell short of God's glory. He created us with his glory but seeing robbed us of that glory and and he saw us in darkness and Jesus came to restore the glory. The only way we could have Glory by having his present. a man, and so Jesus in trying to help us to understand what it would take, To be filled with his presence. To help us to understand. What it would be what what what steps we would need to follow in order to experience his presence in transforming power. God uses of familiar illustration. And unlikely illustration. Teach us about how to be filled with the Holy Spirit and the difference that that would make in our lives and return to Ephesians chapter 5. Are we going to go back to first 18? Fusions 5 Verse 18. He says do not be drunk with wine. In which is dissipation, but be fair. With the spirit notice this passage is is is is describing something that many of us if we can tell the truth and shame the devil no further than what that's like. Some of us may know what that's like being drunk. And the process of being drunk to illustrate the process of being filled with the Holy Spirit. He says, don't be drunk with wine in which is dissipation, or that mean debauchery and wild and out of control living. He says, but be filled with the spirit, God uses drunkenness to illustrate being filled with the spirit. Now before anybody runs out here to the street corner. Just on this corner of the block down here to get stocked up with some Jack, Daniels, or someone I want you to know, I'll be drunk with one, I just want to be clear that that beat The Holy Spirit, the way to be Phil is not to get drunk with wine. He says, don't be drunk with wine, a man. He says, he says, don't be drunk with wine filled with the spirit of God is using drunkenness to teach us how to put the spirit, which means that no matter how your life has turned out, how low you may have fallen, what a dictions have really been gotten ahold of your life in your life. God will meet you if you know how to get drunk. God wants you to understand that if he wants you to get how to be filled with the spirit of God, it doesn't matter. What is happening.
Destroying your life. God knows the. One thing that can turn your life around is to be filled with his spirit and God will use the very things that are enslaved to teach you how to be filled with this. Whatever they're hooked on you, how to get hooked on you. God is amazing to me. Amen, Glory, Hallelujah. The Bible says, be not drunk with wine in which is dissipation, but be filled with the spirit. One of the first things I noticed in this according to this passage Before we get the Harvey field, we can learn from this, passage certain things that you made you that will prevent you or never help you to get filled.
the first thing I think about this is I think about, I remember, I think about being in the people I've been around and one thing I do know, I know enough about drinking to see this. if you hang around people, that drink and you spend time with them sick with me cuz this may not end up where you think is going, if you hang around people that drink And you spent a lot of time with them. By associating with them and a hanging with them that by yourself alone with you, never get drunk.
stay with me, stay with, let me repeat it one more time, if you hang around people that drink and you spend a lot of time around them, You won't get drunk just by being around people that are drinking or maybe drunk. You got to do more than associate. Not many people get down that road because they start with an association and then they take other steps. But if you just That is not enough many people who have I just want to warn against people that may take this word and think that I can hang around anybody and I'll be good. Not many of us are not strong enough. The hang around. That may be involved in drinking or doing drugs or doing something like that. Many of us are not strong enough. And Our intention is not to hang around them, and not draw attention is to follow and to be accepted and to go along to get along a man. And, and so we may start hanging around. And before you knew it, we take one sweet. And then we take another hit and before, you know it, we drunk too. There's a danger in hanging around because we usually tend to follow the people. We hang around here, hanging around is not
let me put this thing down if you hang around Church book, If you hang around people, that may even literally be filled with the spirit of God, it's not enough for you to hang around them, being around them is not going to get you. It doesn't matter how religiously you do it, it doesn't matter how long you do it. You will not be filled with the spirit of God just by association and socializing with people. You can go hang around them from the time you were born if you or your father.
Day in and day out about God. And His word is not enough. You could hang around other people that were Christian upbringing, but just Association and socializing you hang out of the bar from 4 p.m. or what time, what time is it? 3 p.m. from the happy hour? What time is happy hour? I don't know, I don't know. You forgot p.m. in the afternoon and you hang around people that drink afternoon and in the morning it's just your presence. Can you drive? Because they know that you are not affected in the same way as being around other people being around. People who may even be filled with the spirit of God, Alone is not enough. More than socialization in order to be. We need more than just having contact relationship with people. Just to be associate with people, that relationships can only go. As far as they can connections on a human level does not mean you don't have a connection on a Divine level, a man, Got to do more than just hang around it, man. Does not guarantee you that you'll be filled with the spirit of God, helping other people to be filled. It's not a guarantee that you're going to be feel. When I was growing up, I'll go to play ball at a basketball, court, near my house, and the boys would go there right after school finished and then teenagers would come a little later from high school and then they will start take over the court, run out of the boys off the court and it would stop playing and then play for a couple hours and then as the evening came on, the men would show up and then be on the beach and after when they were ready for the last teenage or high school game to be over, they would invade the court a man and they would start playing not if you if you really wanted to do something and you thought you had some skills, you really wanted one of those men as a team. Do you want to? Because those brothers would hoop and listen they got bodies, you know, they can just I just pushed you out of the car, but one of the things that they would
Can we finish play? Oh, I was even younger. We didn't leave. As soon as we finish playing, we would watch the next level up. Cuz we wanted to improve our skills and that's just the principle of like if you ever want to get better, you got to find somebody that knows more than, you know, somebody that can do stuff that you are hoping to be able to do. So you can watch by observing it and then try to imitate and who we could maybe put on the side and said, can you show me how to do this or how to do that? And while we're hanging out there and other men were waiting to play the next game against the winners.
Give me some money that he go get a Budweiser for me.
And they say, he has his a dollar buy yourself. Something. Run down to the corner shop by the days before they had these laws about IDs and all that. Amen. Amen. Kind of dig myself a little bit hairy man, but what they asked for and take it to them. by myself or something, you know, maybe one of those I'm not going to tell you all cuz some of those snacks that we could eat a man, but because I bought it for them. And they began to drink. It did not mean that I got drunk.
We can work for people to get them to Jesus, we can work for them to get under the influence of his Spirit. But but the very Act of working does not mean that you going to be filled with his Spirit, the process were being spilled, filled with the spirit of God is not working for God. so, just picking a Ministry, does not mean that you feel God is not going to give you his Spirit just because you accepted an office or because you have a title or because other things look up to you because of your title, either in society, in the church, Working for God does not mean that you have his Spirit on that. He will give you his. Nobody can't tell. You how many intoxicating drinks I bought for other folk. At their request but I never got drunk from that. As I was helping them giving them what they wanted. I didn't get drunk from that. A man. There is only one way a person can get drunk. One Way. Only one way. A person has some liquor. Take that, you can feel them on the inside.
And you can't just pick a little twig. Hey man, you got ticket and pick some more and take some more and take some more. And then what And take some more. Amen, you have to open your mouth. And swallow that thing from wherever it was a bottle or or you got to take that thing on the inside of you. The only way for a person to be filled if you receive God's presence on the inside of you, and the fact of the matter is, my mama can't do that for me. My daddy can't do that for me and my Grandmama or friend, can't do it for me the preacher or a l. Can't do it for me. I owe myself. That's why I said, he said don't be drunk with wine in the same way with the Holy Ghost.
Alcohol into their systems to be filled with the spirit in the Bible tells us that before we go on, in order for us to have Jesus on the inside the Bible, lays out that we need to follow. We can study this a little more closely from the word of God, but, but let me just give you an outline. Right now, the Bible tells us that receiving the Holy Spirit as a gift, a man, it's a gift. And Jesus Paid the price for a gift. Could become ours. A man, the gift of his presence. He says, baptism by water. He says he who believes and is baptized shall be saved. And Mark, 16, verse 15. So faith in Christ, and the gospel of the good news of Jesus is a prerequisite and a part of the process for receiving the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us that we need to have faith. We need to repair. We need to be baptized which symbolizes our total commitment of consecration. So, surrender and total consecration to God is necessary to be back to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Baptism is a symbolic at 2 to demonstrate a person's total commitment. To the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Bible also tells us that we need to ask in order to be filled with the spirit of God, we need to ask. We need to ask in Matthew and Luke chapter 11. The Bible tells us to ask and it shall be given seek, and you shall find knock. And the door will be opened unto you. A match where everyone who asks, receives a written one, who knocks the door shall be opened. For the father, is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to his to those who ask him that parents are to give good gifts to that children. Amen, God's presence is not going 12 unless he is desire.
When you text your wife, somebody what do you want? You want to drink. Even folks who a broken end up with one. A man cuz somebody going to help him but they have to ask if the same thing with the holy spirit. Amen. And when we meet these conditions God's literal will honor his word and move into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, and he will literally take up residence there. That's why the Bible says our bodies. At that time we become the Temple of the Living God, where he is living inside of us. A man or Temple is a dwelling place. It's a house and our bodies are God's Temple. So we need to
Heart where he now takes up residence. There a man. But that's not all. the Bible says, don't be drunk with wine but which is dissipation, but be filled with the spirit in order to be filled by the what,
And not a little bit.
To the point where they are full of it.
Then the next step for the Bible says, don't be drunk with wine. He compares. Being filled with the Holy Spirit. To being drunk.
Pick a big drunk. When people are drunk, what are we see? They are under the influence that they took inside of them. Then now begins to affect and influence everything about their life. Some people may have 20/20 vision. And then when they get drunk and they take it inside, do they begin to see multiple vision? That one person standing. Is that why y'all talking to me? Does it affect how they see? That's why I want to drive in this. It don't drink and drive cuz you know, they see the car in front of them and they see three cars and and so they might jump over here to the third car AC, which is not real. A man and then they over another lean and you have a head-on collision, right? Right, right. It affects how they see.
Stop doing it.
The hearing is cloud. the words don't land the way that they shoot, it's affecting how the here it affects the way they think. The begin to think real slow.
Nnnn nnnn then when they open their mouth, it affects the way they talk.
I was thinking that that, that, that that
You should give me another bottle.
It affects
ability to stand up. Yes. Text you. I'm mad at you.
You can't pick up Stan. You can't stand up straight because you're under the influence. And then try to walk. Play Jayz. Big struggle with walking this. That's why I said Highway Patrol with it. Pulled somebody over.
Can't walk straight. You can't follow the path that you're supposed to walk in because of your under the influence. Did you just eat your feet? Just like wine affect people like that. Other Spirits affect people the same way we may not be under the influence of alcohol.
Influence of a different kind of speed. These Spirits affect how we see.
That's the way we think and how we communicate.
Whether we can be truthful or not, what do we do?
Stand for, what's right? And it affects our work. We end up walking and veering off the path that that God has a blessing and victory and we find ourselves training away from that. Only path that Jesus has laid out for those that are planning to celebrate and spend eternity with him over and over will influence us, which leads to dissipation and confusion and fights and breakouts + 2 2y living he says, but instead,
The person says I have no problem. I drink I get drunk. I fall down. No problem. Okay, how the enemy wants to see everything we do? And you can tell what folks been drinking by when they open them out, you can tell what we've been feeding our minds but how we live in the choices we make God is seeing what influence are you under? Who is influencing you, what source is influence in your life? He says, whatever it is. It could be any addictive behavior. When I just found a pic on alcoholic, something like that. Be on drinking, and keep us in bondage. He says, don't whatever.
It means that he is the primary influence in our lives. Just like when a person is drunk, it affects everything. Every choice, every decision, everything they are. God says the Holy Spirit to be filled with him is to bring your whole life under his influence. It's a, bring your thoughts under his influence, your words under his influence, your habits, your, your your actions. Your vision under his influence. That's what it means to be filled by the Holy Spirit. That's the second part of it. Now, that's good news because it means that when the Holy Spirit comes in, and I allow him to get two words to me, that means that I'm going to be able to do some stuff that I could never do on my own. And I'm going to see some victories in my life that I could never win on my own. I'm going to have some breakthroughs. Hey, man, I'm going to experience a joy and a piece and because that's what the Holy Spirit comes to impart to us. When he, when we get under his influence, we going to be blessed because the Bible says he came, he came to Open the Eyes of the blind to set at Liberty, those who are oppressed. He is able to break a diction. Say, man, in the name of Jesus, God is able to overcome fear. Paul told Timothy, he said he said, he said that's in You by the laying on of my hands, right? But of power and of love and of a sound mind, a man, all the forces of the enemy. Praise God, Glory, Hallelujah. That Jesus died to pay the price so that you and I could be filled with the Holy Ghost and and we are, we are filled with him and we bring our lives under his influence of the feeling is so that he would lead us. So he would influence us and he will be able to go. I would Li
that we can be drunk with the Holy Spirit when we bring our lives under his influence. But there is one main difference between being drunk and under the influence of alcohol or any substance versus being filled with it being under the influence of the Holy Spirit what a person drinks to the point where their field. With that liquor. The liquor automatically Takes Over Control.
Even if they don't want it to it will. That's not the way it is with the Holy Spirit.
He will not.
Take over your life. Even when he moves in. the only influences us, By speaking.
and we become become under his influence when we listen except and follow what he says,
he's not going to force us to change. He may be present. but in order for his presence to be manifest in the effect, He speaks. And we need to listen. Believe, and obey. because,
We have veto power. Alright. Congress can write a bill in the house and in the Senate and they can. But before that becomes law, the president of the United States have to sign One that comes to his desk. The president can choose to be told with that means. He says, no, I do not approve this a man, the only way for that to become law is for two-thirds of the Senate and our country to override his veto. The veto is the power to see. Now it's a policy. I'm not down with this. Okay, even though he's got and he's all-powerful
He will not force anything upon us. He will tell us what he wants to do, or what his plans are. But we have veto power. We can see what we can say. No, I don't know about you, but one of the prerequisites for receiving the holy spirit is to decide to tell God. Yes. Before he moves in.
The Bible says that we need to obey in order to receive the Holy Spirit. John 14, this verse for you, John 14:15 Jesus says, if you love me, keep my Commandments and I will pray the father and he will give you another comforter, and he will abide with you forever. Obedience is a condition of receiving the Holy Spirit.
God, without his help. a man when we make a decision to submit to his lordship, And to come under his lordship, under his leadership, under his authority, and under his influence, then that then. That's all right. When I move inside of you, you going to listen.
So I need to tell God, yes.
Before he moves in. cuz if I have a rebellious Spirit Once Upon a Time,
A man, a man. So, I don't know when you were younger, but I'm sure I'm not the only one.
I can't be the only one that pull that. You wanted your kids ever came to you and say, listen, I want to ask you for something, but I want you to say yes, right? And one of the parents say you tell me what you want and I'll just tell you what my answer is, right? But we would want our parents to say yes, before we know.
U c. N. N. Apparently, according to God's word. Is that way he wants us to tell him. Yes. before we know the details of what is going to tell us to do, Because that means that I trust you, that his knowledge is greater than mine. His ways are higher than mine, a man. And when I get a, yes, in my spirit and I said, Lord, if you love me so much and you would die to save me, had to give me turn on life. I know. You only want the best for me. So yes Lord. Yes. Lord to your will, yes. Lord to your way. And that's why all the Christians in Ephesus. He says he says see then that you walk circumspectly not as fool's but as wise Redeeming the time because the days are evil he says don't be unwise. You need to understand what God's will is.
Wood in your life, a man and he says that you will be blessed and so I don't know about you, but I'm grateful for the fact that Jesus says, don't be drunk with wine but be filled with his Spirit, a man that means all of us have an opportunity to say yes. Lord I'm trusting you and I rely on your plans for my life, above my own plans for myself, a man, I will serve you and I will not leave my life before you because I know that my only passed the hope and victory and transformation is the feeling of the Holy Spirit and your present, is there somebody here today. That is grateful that God tells us to be filled with his Spirit to be drunk with his Spirit. A man. Is there anybody here today? Available to us a man. I don't know about you, but I'm so grateful that I want to make sure that I don't I'm not influenced by anything. Any other people, unless God sent them my way a man, just some substances or some habits are some some Crush that I used to deal with my pain. I need to be under the influence of the spirit of God, a man. And so today, we want to invite you today to ask God into your life and your heart and to prepare YouTube.
So you'll be choosing to bring your life under his authority under his influence with holding nothing. many times, we Decide to give our lives to God. And we want to give him some things.
What other things we want to hold back?
Alcohol affects everything in a person's life. And God wants us to be blessed. By him affecting every area of our relationships.
Choices of thoughts. Our dreams and hopes and aspirations are careers. Every part of our lives. and when we say yes to you, he will be able to guide us in all truth. He will be able to guide us in unfamiliar passed to fulfill his will he will be able to speak through US Words of Life, words of Hope and words of healing to people. That may be lost if that's your prayer today to invite him into your life. And to say yes, Lord for whatever his will is. I b u stand right now. But you stand right now as we pray today.
That God today. We just want to thank you. For making it plain in your word. About how your spirit works and all that he desires to do and what it takes. For us to be filled with your spirit. The day we're standing right now, Lord, because you recognize our need. To be filled with your sister. Continually. Oh God, we're standing to acknowledge that. We understand that in order for us to be filled with you, it's not enough to socialize with people who work for God or to help other people get Bill. We've got to experience you for ourselves. We need to have you standing to acknowledge that we need you to move in there. if you have not already, Bring our lives under your influence. So you would have three ring to order of steps to Gaga. Do you show us Lord how you want us to live and to give us the power or God today we want to surrender to you every other influence in our lives that has been an idol.
It has been taking the place that you deserve. If that's friends. We want to protect them to you. Is that off, if that's off self will or our pride or our egos guy, we resent that to you, God, if it is a fierce. We present them to you Lord, if we have been driven by selfish ambition or greed, and that's been driving, all the decisions we make. We want those desires to you. If it is a desire to please other people or to be stroked by other represents those desires to you. And we want to surrender today every if it is some evil desire on some carnal desire father for something that is not right or immoral. We want to present those to your infant. Is that we've been under the influence of some addictive Tendencies and habits. In the name of Jesus, we are asking. We want to present that to you, and ask you that God to break the chains in our lives, to the power of the Holy Ghost.
Do our hearts and to influence us to lead us and guide us. According to your, will your purpose and your plans for the praise for all that you will do nothing right? Now you may not have been baptized by immersion and baptism is one of the prerequisites to the word of God in the process of receiving this gift, that Jesus gave us. It's that step where we choose to give ourselves totally to God without any reservations. And if you have not been baptized, and if you're not prepared to be baptized right now, I want invite you to make a decision to give your life to God, without any reservations. It should be baptized we will help prepare you for that. And so I want to give you that opportunity to make that decision right now. If that's your decision, would you raise your hand Wherever You Are?
If you want to say to God, lord. I want to give you my whole life including the struggles. I have the problems, I have the failures and weaknesses. I want to give it all to you cuz I know you are my only hope if that's your decision. Today, would you raise your hand right now? God bless you. My sister. God bless you. My sister. Someone would like to be baptized. As God has told us in his word, would you raise your hand at this time? We give God all the praise, all the honor and all the glory father, we just want to thank you right now for all that you're doing and we'll do it. Our lives. We praise you. And we magnify your name who God because you are faithful, and we know that your presents when we are filled. We will be blessed. And others will be blessed and we thank you for all. You're going to do a US date to be filled and led by you for your glory in Jesus name, we pray. Amen. Come on.