Sermon Tone Analysis

What are some things you think of when you hear the phrase Spirit Filled Life?

Can you think of someone that you could say lives a Spirit Filled life?

I can think of a few people in my life that I admire and I would say live a Spirit Filled Life.

Real quick, what are some of those qualities?

Just call them out.

The Bible does give us a list of those qualities.

They are labeled the Fruit of the Spirit and they are found in Galatians chapter 5. Let’s review them…These are some of the signs of a Spirit Filled Life:

When I think of people I like to be around, those people have these qualities.

I am not there yet, but I am wanting more of these qualities in my life.

Coming back from Sabbatical as well as finishing up the study we did on personal revival in our small group, I’ve recognized that being Spirit Filled doesn’t just happen once and you’re done, it is a continuous process of being filled day-by-day.

Sometimes we pour out and need to be refilled.

Sometimes we have a leak that needs to be plugged and then we need to be refilled.

We need rhythms in life that help us be continually filled with the Spirit.

I’ve organized these four rhythms with the acronym HALT.

HALT is what we should do if we are Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired.

I’ve heard that phrase before and am always cautious about the activities that I take part in if I am any of those 4 things.

I believe the remedy to being Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired are these 4 Rhythms I am going to share with you today.

Hungry?

Feed on and drink the Word of God

Matthew 4:1-4, John 7:37-39

Hungry - To keep yourself from being hungry or thirsty you should feed on and drink the Word of God.

The Bible is the source of our spiritual nutrition and drink.

We can be tempted to eat and drink what the world has to offer, but only the Word of God can satisfy.

Let’s look at what Jesus had to say about spiritual food and drink...

Turn with me to Matthew 4.

Now turn ahead a few books to John 7 asd

Spiritual food and drink that never goes bad.

The Word of God is that for us.

There are so many different ways people read God’s Word, but the key is to do it every day.

Some can read multiple chapters, some will only be able to read a few verses.

What ever you are able to do, start with that.

If you haven’t read much in the Bible, I recommend starting in the book of John.

We have a great little study book that will help with reading it.

Here is something that I’ve started doing with my day.

Before I read, I say a quick prayer - Lord, direct me to a word or phrase you would like to show me today.

Then, I read a passage until I come to a word or phrase that jumps out at me.

Then I repeat the word or phrase over and over until it is stuck in my mind.

I’ll look up the definition of the word.

I’ll ask myself questions about the word.

Then throughout the day, I’ll remind myself about the word of the day and ponder it again.

Sometimes, that same word is my word of the day for multiple days in a row.

That’s OK.

The key is to have a regular rhythm of God’s Word in our life.

The second letter in HALT is A…Angry

Angry

The remedy for anger is gratitude

Colossians 3:15-17

The early part of Colossians 3 talks about putting aside our old self and putting on our new self in Christ.

It specifically mentions anger and number of other types of earthly behaviors.

Verse 15 is the start of what is the key to our new self in Christ:

I have seen in my own heart a change in how I interact with the world around me when I am thankful.

Our thankfulness starts with the Lord and what He has done for us.

Then that thankfulness overflows to those around us.

Take note sometime of the people you thought of earlier who are living a Spirit Filled Life.

You’ll begin to notice that thankfulness is part of their regular vocabulary.

Some of that flows out of what God has done for them, but I also believe it is an intention rhythm of life to be thankful.

Gratitude for others has a way of filling us.

Let me challenge you to take time and be thankful, first to the Lord for Jesus and then for the blessings all around you.

Our next letter in HALT is L - Lonely

Lonely

Gather with other Believers

Colossians 3:15-17, Ephesians 5:18-20

The passage in Colossians we just read talks about being together, let’s read it again.

Every time the you is used, it is referring to a plural you as in the church at Colossae and we can apply it to us as a church or to a group of believers that gathers...

I also want to read a passage from Ephesians that specifically says to be filled with the Spirit...

Also notice the reference to being thankful.

This is all part of living a Spirit Filled Life.

We can’t do that alone.

We need each other.

Not just to eat and hang out, but to speak to one another with psalms, to teach and admonish one another and to server the Lord together.

I have also seen the value in small groups of people gathering together for the purpose of helping each other grow in the Lord.

Over the last several months, I witnessed that first hand in our small group.

You heard that with the testimony given today.

I know it can be uncomfortable to join in with a small group of people, but it is a necessary rhythm of living the Spirit Filled Life.

Please consider hosting, leading or joining a group this September.

Our last letter is T - Tired.

Tired

Sabbath is a gift of rest

Mark 6:12-13, 30-31, Matthew 11:28-30

I believe one of the enemies greatest tools in keeping Christians ineffective is busyness that leads to tiredness.

Sabbath means to cease, to stop, to rest.

We work for six days and then we rest for a full day.

God modelled this in the creation of the world and He included this in one of the ten commandments.

It not only a commandment we have to do, it is a commandment we get to do.

Not taking the Sabbath rest is like poking holes in our soul allowing our Spirit Filled lives to drain away slowly.

No matter how quickly you fill up with the other rhythms, if you are not rested, you cannot ever fully be Spirit Filled.

What should a Sabbath look like?

What does rest look like?

Jesus gives us a hint with what happens in Mark 6. First, He sends the disciples out in pairs to do ministry…Verse 12 -

We don’t know how long they did this for, but then we see them coming back to Jesus in verse 30:

Rest looks like this:

Come with Jesus by yourselves

Sabbath can be done with others, in fact, that is the model we see in the Old Testament.

Families would gather with each other on the Sabbath and they would hear from God’s Word

To a Quiet place

There is a whole set of rules and regulations that have been created over the years to properly follow the Sabbath.

There are several conflicts that take place between the religious and Jesus when He does things against those rules.

The problem with all of the rules is that following them becomes work and not necessarily Sabbath rest.

The key piece of Sabbath is quiet with Jesus.

because that is where we can