How to Seek the Fullness of the Holy Spirit
Notes
Transcript
Turn to Ephesians 5:18...
Today is our last sermon in our series on the Holy Spirit...
and I wanted to really do this sermon series because of a couple a few reasons:
Reason #1: We finished Acts—and one of the main if not the main character is the Holy Spirit—or more precisely, the Risen Lord Jesus working through the Holy Spirit.
Reason #2: I think there is a lot of confusion and misrepresentation of the Holy Spirit. we may fall into 2 errors...
on the one hand—we may fall into some weird expressions of the Spirit. He is a mysterious in Scripture—compared to wind and fire...and so sometimes Christians can really get into a kind of extreme pursuit of the Spirit—and into some weird expressions of the Spirit, seeking only experience or emotion or power for power’s sake, and that can be dangerous. We think something is Spirit-filled it’s always this spiritual high, and that can be dangerous because life isn’t always like that.
on the other hand—sometimes we may forget about the Spirit (that’s my main concern with our church). forget that He has come in power—Jesus poured Him out. forget that the same Holy Spirit who worked in the early church now works here in Adams County in 2025. and our Christian life can get pretty lifeless, dull, routine, predictable. we can forget He dwells in us, convicts us, converts us, advocates for us, empowers us—by making us more like Jesus and giving us spiritual gifts for mission.
and lastly, the last reason, I want to do this series—is make it very practical. because I think the Spirit can be hard to understand. When we think about God as the Trinity—one God—three person—we can understand the idea of God the FATHER...because we see fathers in action in our world. We can understand God the SON...because He literally was on this earth as a person, Matthew Mark Luke and John. but it’s hard for us to make sense of the Holy Spirit—who is a person but also compared to powerful things like wind, breath, fire.
so my last sermon in this series-I want to be very practical...what now? what do we do now with all this...and my main argument is we need to follow:
Ephesians 5:18...
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,
Paul is writing this to the church in Ephesus—and even though they already have the Spirit—you and I get the Spirit whenever we believe in Jesus—this is an ongoing command to be filled with the Spirit.
one of the questions that is sometimes asked—is if we already have the Spirit, indwelling us—why are we commanded to be filled with the Spirit?
2 responses:
Response #1 - it’s like a balloon - when you fill up a balloon with air—is it full with air? yes, but could you put more in? usually (yes I know it could pop) but if you fill it more—it has a “fuller fullness.” That’s what I am arguing for here more—that even though we have the Spirit—don’t we want a fuller fullness of the Holy Spirit, the very presence, promise, and power of God in us? don’t we want more? yes!
Response #2 - look at vs. 18 again — and he contrasts being filled with getting drunk on wine.
If someone drinks too much, they are controlled and consumed by that substance.
instead of that, we are to be controlled and consumed by the Spirit.
now, I will come back to this passage at the end...but how can you and I be controlled, consumed by the Spirit?
even though we already have the Spirit in us, we don’t always allow him to lead us, control us. we get distracted, consumed, even addicted to other things—things like wine, but also things like social media or screens, things like our career or work-a-holism, things like money, or the opinions of others. instead, the Spirit must fill us, lead us, guide us. (we didn’t have internet at home for a couple of days, and though our kids hated it, it was one of the best things for our family life!)
so what can we do? the first 3 points are pray:
Pray (and we all aid “duh!”) - asking for more of the Spirit’s influence in your life.
For the first way—turn to Luke 11. Luke 11 has Jesus’ teaching on the Lord’s prayer at the beginning and then a parable on prayer highlighting boldness and persistence.
and then let me start reading at verse 9.
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (keep doing these things)
10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (what a great promise!)
11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?
12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (we have an amazing Father!)
Yes, in some ways this was first fulfilled in the book of Acts when the disciples prayed and received the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.
but because it is recorded here for the life of the church now—it also applies today.
I love how Pastor Kevin DeYoung says: “So go ahead and knock. Ask him for the best gift of all. Ask him for more of the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life. Ask God to fill your church with the Spirit’s power. Wouldn’t you like more of Christ, more repentance, more godliness in your life? Wouldn’t you like your church to be more loving, more faithful, more courageous, more honoring to God? Wouldn’t you like a fuller fullness?”
so...let’s do that RIGHT NOW. Would you take a moment and ask for more of the Spirit’s work in your life and our church’s? Somehow God loves to answer the prayers of his children when we pray in line with His will. This is something you can pray regularly, and I think as we do so, it realigns our priorities...reminding us we need a fuller fullness of the Holy Spirit’s power, presence, and promise in our life.
so let’s pray
so the first way we pray is asking for more of the Spirit’s power and influence in our lives
2. another Is we pray in the Spirit. Turn to Ephesians 6:18-20
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
so praying in the Spirit. Way #2 - praying in the Spirit...
What does that mean? I am glad you asked, and I admit, I had to get some help on it...and I was reading a message by a pastor named Jason Meyer—who was quoting a famous British preach named Doctor Martyn Lloyd Jones. Lloyd Jones was at first a medical doctor, and then became a pastor in London—preaching at a big church in the mid 1900’s
and I love what he says … praying in the Spirit—means admitting our inability to pray. we NEED HELP! so he contrasts praying in the Spirit vs. praying in the flesh. part of the idea of the flesh in Scripture is our own strength, so he argues if we are going to pray in the Spirit—we have to say, “Lord I need help! I don’t always pray as I ought, my motivations when asking for things are mixed. I also don’t feel like praying right now—this is an active surrender.”
another tip he gives is if we are going to pray in the Sprit—is don’t feel the need to rush to say anything to God when you start praying in the Spirit. Begin with an awareness of God’s presence. You are in the throne room of God when you pray b/c of Jesus and the Spirit. that’s amazing! the result of this is we are in awe of God—we are humbled. there is a deep intimacy.
another tip: pleading with God with a holy boldness. we plead with God for move based on His promises in Scripture—it is not demanding...because He is God, but it is a humble boldness as kids asking their fathers, yet holy—based on what He reveals about Himself in Scripture. so if Scripture says God doesn’t want anyone to perish, for example but come to him in repentance, that’s what I am praying for my friends and family who don’t know Him. we actually see some guidance about prayer here—all kinds of prayers and requests. and then specifically praying for boldness to declare the Gospel and praying for the right words—that’s pleading with God with a holy boldness.
last tip—is when you get an impulse to pray—praying in that very moment.
(story from driving in Detroit—my wife and I went to a Christmas concert in Detroit last December, and on the way back I was driving on the interstate westbound on 94...and I noticed it was spitting rain a little bit and it was also exactly 32 degrees.)
i came up a short hill and down, going 70 miles an hour...before I knew it cars in front of me had brake lights on and were sliding, and so I tried to slow down, and my car starts careening back and forth, back and forth, my breaks were not doing much. we were on ice and we were just along for the ride
I was in the left lane of the 3 lane interstate, the car in front of me was slowing down better than I was, and halfway in my lane and the center lane. and I was not slowing down fast enough. I was going to hit him. furthermore, I couldn’t go on the left shoulder because a car was already there. so in that moment I was trying to decide should I hit the car on the left shoulder or the car moving in front of me...but I had a better idea.
I started honking—thinking if I can get the car in front of me to move to the right center lane just a smidgen - I could go through both like Moses parting the Red Sea. (even in an emergency my mind is thinking Biblically)
but as I am doing this...I look in my rearview mirror, and a semi is behind me, trying to stop, and the driver cannot, his trailer starts going like this—jack-knifing—making a 90 angle with his truck. so I looked in that mirror and said “Oh no!”
and then I looked in the passenger front mirror which says objects in mirror are closer than they appear—and really said “Oh no!”
but somehow...amazingly..the car in front of me veered to the right—we went between the car on the left shoulder and the car in the middle lane, and the semi behind us came to a stop. we went through unscathed.
and our hearts were pounding...
we pulled off at the nearest exit; went to Arby’s...I called my parents who had my kids—and my mom said, “I am glad you are ok, and said I actually felt led to pray for you not long ago.” and I thought “Hmmm...”
you ever go those moments—when you have an inkling, a stirring, an urging to pray for someone, you better do it. praying as prompted by the Spirit....
so we pray admitting our inability, not rushing into talking—just being aware of God’s presence, pleading with a holy boldness,
3. Pray - last tip - pray through the armor of God. Look at Ephesians 6:10-20.
I will start at verse 13...
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
You could have a sermon on each one...but all of these are aspects of the Gospel—the good news of Jesus Christ. truth—is the appropriate truth of the Gospel—reminding ourselves of what God has done for us through Christ. righteousness—reminds us that our right standing before God is based on what Jesus does for us—not us. we receive not—we don’t achieve it. gospel of peace—-reminded we have peace with God and others. faith—we trust readily in God and his resources. helmet of salvation—we remind ourselves we belong to him. all of this is part of preaching the Gospel to ourselves...Gospel Primer...(Milton Vincent)
so taking time to remember the deep truths of the Gospel—these help us stand firm, to fight against the devil and spiritual evil—they remind us of who God really is—God is big, and we are small and Satan is small. they remind us of the truth—not believing lies.
so if you take nothing else—pray...pray...
asking for more of the Spirit’s power in your life
praying in the Spirit (admitting our inability to pray, soaking in his presence, praying based on His promises and promptings)
putting on our gospel identity
4. Saturate yourself in God’s Word. (John 14:16-27, 15:26, 16:13) “The Spirit of Truth”)
we just heard the Word of God referred to as the sword of the Spirit....
Look at what the Holy Spirit is called by Jesus Himself:
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—
17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.
we cannot pray God’s promises unless we know His truth.
we cannot be in the Spirit—have that fuller fullness, unless our lives are saturated by God.
I use that word saturate intentionally—when something is saturated, it is wet—it’s holding as much water or moisture as can be absorbed; thoroughly soaked.
what are you soaking yourself in...
what is saturating your mind, and your heart and affections.
don’t feel like you have get a special experience or revelation to hear from the Spirit—sometimes we want a special, extra biblical event to happen, but God speaks primarily to us by His Spirit in His Word!
compare Eph. 5:18 and Colossians 3:16
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,
16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
these are parallel—the Spirit fills us when we let the message of Christ dwell in us richly...
5. Don’t underestimate being part of a local church.
Look back at Ephesians 5:18-21
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, (and then notice this—NT scholars debate if the following are the results of being filled or the means—the way we get filled—maybe both) here is the result and the means:
if we want to be filled with the Spirit
19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, (part of this is gathering week after week for corporate worship—certainly when we gather we are praising God....but as we do so—we are hearing each other-and that encourages us. I know several of your stories, when I see you praising God even though you are fighting cancer or facing a job loss or financial difficulty, or relational challenges, my soul is stirred—even though you are singing to God—you are reminding me, “Richard...keep going. It’s worth it to follow Jesus! some of it is speaking—like a psalm, some is singing...)and that encourages me to sing from my heart—my inner being! don’t just go through the motions! (when you are singing you are singing not just to God but to others...”)
it keeps going...
20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
when I am thankful that sets the condition for the fuller fullness...it’s amazing how that changes my attitude when I have some gratitude to God, even when life is hard.
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
that last one is surprising—we are called in the body of Christ—to submit to one another. this requires humility, patience. arrogant people cannot submit to one another, impatient people cannot submit. harsh people cannot. there is a mutual submission in the body of Christ, not that someone can’t lead or be in charge—absolutely! he will define that submission what it looks like in marriage, and in work. it reminds us of Jesus that the greatest is among those who serve.
we do this out of deep reverence, deep awe for Christ.
I know that being a part of a local church is easy to take for granted...
you think...Oh it’s not that big a deal that I am involved. You think, I have another Sunday next week, or I can join a class later…
It is! first of all for your own sake...
so you want a fuller fulness, a deeper sense of the Spirit
Pray—in varied ways...
Saturate yourself in God’s Word...
Be a part of the local church
and lastly we are going to celebrate communion - focus on Jesus Christ
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.
communion - open to all believers in Jesus
don’t have to be a regular attender or member here to partake
when we focus on Jesus, the Spirit moves in power.
When we start longing for more of the Spirit’s presence, power and effectiveness in our lives—He says...look at Jesus...
especially what He did on the cross.
Communion is perfect for reminding ourselves of this:
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.
Nancy Guthrie —
Isaiah 11 — He told them about One who would come, who would be just the wise guide they would need. He said, There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit and the spirit. It of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Can you hear it? God was promising to, one day, send a descendant of David upon whom the Spirit would rest and enable him to provide his people the wisdom and guidance they need to walk in his ways. And that descendant came in the person of Jesus, who we read in in the Gospel of Luke, grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. You see, the spirit by whom he was conceived was at work in his life as he matured, making him wise. And then at His baptism, the Spirit descended on him like a dove. This was like Jesus’s own personal Pentecost. You see the Spirit anointed Jesus in His humanity, empowering him to guide us into wisdom.
Power - And what’s amazing and interesting is that even Jesus needed the power of the Spirit to accomplish the work he came to do. You know, Jesus was fully God, but he was also fully human, and in that humanity needed the Holy Spirit to accomplish the work, the ministry He came to do. In fact, John the Baptist attributed the power and authority with which Jesus spoke to the unlimited measure of the Spirit that was given to him. John said, he whom God has sent, utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. So the Spirit gave his teaching a sense of authority. The Spirit also filled Jesus with the power he needed to do battle against the powers of darkness. That’s one of the main reasons Jesus came into the world. He came into the world to destroy the works of the devil, and in his humanity, he needed power for his personal battle against temptation. There in the wilderness, power to demand or command demons to depart from a man inhabited by a legion of them.
Power to rule over the chaos of the sea. Power to overcome that temptation, to avoid the cross, and if Jesus needed the Spirit’s power to do battle against temptation in this world, how much more do you and I? I desperately need the Spirit’s power to say no to all the things that the world seeks to use to distract and even to destroy us. When we get to the book of Acts, we see that same power of the Spirit is at that was at work in Jesus is now at work in and through the apostles. And what is it that the spirit is empowering the apostles to do? Yes, they’re doing signs and wonders, but the focus of the Spirit’s power in the book of Acts is in equipping them and emboldening their presentation of the gospel, even though they are threatened and beaten and imprisoned and even stoned. You see, nobody continues to speak of Christ in the face of opposition and persecution with clarity and boldness and compassion and conviction, apart from the power of the Holy Spirit. So let me ask you, Do you long for whatever way in which you are serving God. Do you? Do you long to serve God with genuine spiritual power? Anybody then you long for the Holy Spirit to work in you and through you? But I’ve got to tell you, this kind of power we’re talking about, it’s not necessarily showy, faithful Christian ministry that has genuine spiritual Power. It’s usually not very glamorous. It might not translate into a post on Instagram that gets a whole lot of likes. It may appear mundane and ordinary rather than spectacular or even supernatural. You see a spiritually powerful ministry. Is about faithfully pointing people to Christ over the long haul, often in unseen and perhaps in unappreciated ways. And you see that requires the power of the Spirit, that is what the Bible sets before us to long for even cry out for number four, we long for more of Christ. Now perhaps this is confusing to say that we long for the Holy Spirit because we long for Christ, but I think the Holy Spirit would hardly approve this message, because, you see, the Holy Spirit is all about pointing toward and glorifying Jesus Christ. Do you think you hear the Spirit speaking to you.
so pray...ask the Holy Spirit to make real all that Jesus did for you.
as you do, confess sin. look to Jesus. ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with a fuller fullness...so you can enjoy God more and be empowered more.
Final Plug - Grad Sunday next Sunday
Resource - Nancy Guthrie - Longing for the Holy Spirit’s power
7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
