How to Live the Spirit-Empowered Life

Introduction

Examples from Acts 4:8, 4:31, 7:55 about being filled with the Spirit

Being “filled” with the Spirit means letting the Spirit empower you

“Filled” (although a Bible word) confuses peoples because it sounds like indwelling. If you’ve been born again, you already have the Spirit living in you.

Martin Lloyd-Jones — Where is your Spirit?

Being filled means being empowered/influenced/controlled/led (Rom. 8:9, Eph. 5:18)

On the flip side, we can quench the Spirit that lives in us (1 Thess. 5:19)

Not living the Spirit-filled/Spirit-empowered life is the reason some people are stuck in sin (Rom. 8:5), struggling in trials (Mark 13:11), afraid to witness (Acts 1:8)

Like having a brand new car for college and never cranking it up and driving + real examples

Explanation

If you want to live the Spirit-empowered life, you need to focus on the Gospel. (Galatians 3:1-6)

It’s not just the Gospel that led you to receive the Holy Spirit, it’s the Gospel that helps you continue to rely on the Spirit.

Personal example of how trying to earn it actually made me less effective even though I was trying so hard, like going to the plate tense instead of loose

If you want to live the Spirit-empowered life, you need to focus on what God wants. (Romans 8:5-6)

Lordship — you can’t keep yourself on the throne and expect the fruit of the Spirit

If you want to live the Spirit-empowered life, you need to focus on the root, not just the fruit. (Galatians 5:16, 22-23)

Imagine showing up to a driver’s test drunk. You failed before you even showed up because of what filled you. Some of you are falling into sin long before the temptation arose because of what you’d been filling your life with.

Real-life examples of problems + importance of spiritual disciplines

Eph. 5:18 — It’s about what you’re filling your life with.

If you want to live the Spirit-empowered life, you need to ask God for help. (Luke 11:13)