Ephesians 5:17-21 (KJV)
Wherefore be ye not
unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
And be not drunk with
wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Speaking to yourselves
in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your
heart to the Lord;
Giving thanks always for
all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Submitting yourselves
one to another in the fear of God.
I want you to remember
that the theme of the book of Ephesians is the local church and especially the
essential doctrine of unity in that church.
Ephesians 2:13-15 (KJV)
But now in Christ Jesus
ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
For he is our peace, who
hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between
us;
Having abolished in his
flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to
make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Ephesians 4:3 (KJV)
Endeavouring to keep the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
We have been given some
foundational principles upon which this unity is to be built:
· God, who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we
ask our think, has elected this as His plan
· Christ, who is God in the flesh, broke down the partition between
people to “make in Himself of twain one new man.”
· The church, which is where Christ glorifies the Father, requires
effort to maintain unity
I have said that:
· We will never understand the importance of unity in the
church until we understand Christ loves the church
· We will never understand Christ’s love for the church until
we understand that it is where Christ glorifies the Father and
·
Unity in the church is a
miracle that is accomplished and maintained through Christian submission to and
filling with the Holy Spirit.
The Bible likens the filling
with the Spirit to being drunken wine alcoholic wine.
Acts 2:1-15 (KJV)
And when the day of
Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came
a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house
where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto
them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled
with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave
them utterance.
And there were dwelling
at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
Now when this was noised
abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every
man heard them speak in his own language.
And they were all amazed
and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak
Galilaeans?
And how hear we every
man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
Parthians, and Medes,
and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia,
in Pontus, and Asia,
Phrygia, and Pamphylia,
in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews
and proselytes,
Cretes and Arabians, we
do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
And they were all
amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
Others mocking said,
These men are full of new wine.
But Peter, standing up
with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and
all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my
words:
For these are not
drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
Drunkenness – the
consumption of alcoholic drinks - is on the rise these days, especially among
Christians.
I do not think it will
last.
I think it is a pendulum
swing.
Some Christians,
reacting to what they see as excesses from their fundamentalist churches of a
few decades ago, have begun to teach that drinking wine socially is acceptable
so long as you don’t abuse it.
The trouble is, with
alcohol you can easily begin to abuse it. It gains control of you before you
are aware.
Just a few months ago
now a pastor of one of those churches that teaches alcoholic drink is not sin,
resigned his mega-church, one of the largest in the United States right now,
because he now has a drinking problem.
I heard a story[1]
the other day that President Elect Donald Trump does not drink any alcohol
(won’t that be a refreshing change in the White House?). The reason, however,
is tragic. He doesn’t drink because his oldest brother, Fred, died at a young
age from alcoholism.
I gave the couples that
went to the retreat a little book written by John Quincy Adams. The book is a
series of letter he wrote to his son on the things he had learned from reading
the Bible every day of his life.
I have recently
developed a fascination with John Adams.
Through the process of
the Revolutionary War and the earliest days of our country’s history, John
Adams was considered second only to George Washington.
Some people believed
Washington to be second to Adams.
To John and Abigail
Adams was born a son who was such a star in his own right that he was the sixth
President of the United States.
I got curious the other
day about John and Abigail Adams’ other children.
They had six children in
all:
· Abigail
· John Quincy
· Suzanna (died age 2)
· Charles
· Thomas and
· Elizabeth (Stillborn)
Abigail married and live an average life.
But both Charles and Thomas died of alcoholism.
I am telling you this;
the drinking of alcohol is a sin.
It is a devil in a drink
and those who consume it will only control it so long as it allows you to.
2 Timothy 2:25-26 (KJV)
In meekness instructing
those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to
the acknowledging of the truth;
And that they may
recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him
at his will.
That said, the Bible
sets up this contrast/comparison between being drunk with wine and being filled
with the Spirit.
In either case the
person is,
I. THE SAME
BUT DIFFERENT
The Bible says, Proverbs
31:6 (KJV)
Give strong drink unto
him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
A. Alcohol has the ability to ease pain.
For that reason it would
have been prescribed as a medication much like a doctor prescribes medicine
today.
But it also has the
ability to alter a person’s personality:
Sometimes shy people
drink to give them a false sense of confidence.
· Sometimes it make them mean
· Sometimes it makes them say things that are hurtful and
hateful
Sad people will
sometimes drink alcohol because it makes them feel happy for a little while.
But the happiness that they
imagine they have is artificial and foolish.
Proverbs 20:1 (KJV)
Wine is a mocker, strong
drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
Here is the thing about
it, they are the same person; they just behave differently under the influence
of the alcohol.
B. The Christian, under the influence of the Holy
Spirit behaves differently than he or she would otherwise.
I invite you to do some serious reflection on this passage,
Romans 8:1-27 (KJV)
There is therefore now
no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit.
For the law of the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law could
not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
That the righteousness
of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit.
For they that are after
the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit
the things of the Spirit.
For to be carnally
minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Because the carnal mind
is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed
can be.
So then they that are in
the flesh cannot please God.
But ye are not in the
flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if
any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
And if Christ be in you,
the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of
righteousness.
But if the Spirit of him
that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from
the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in
you.
Therefore, brethren, we
are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
For if ye live after the
flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the
body, ye shall live.
For as many as are led
by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
For ye have not received
the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of
adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
The Spirit itself
beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
And if children, then
heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with
him, that we may be also glorified together.
For I reckon that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory
which shall be revealed in us.
For the earnest expectation
of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
For the creature was
made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected
the same in hope,
Because the creature
itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious
liberty of the children of God.
For we know that the
whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
And not only they, but
ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves
groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our
body.
For we are saved by
hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet
hope for?
But if we hope for that
we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Likewise the Spirit also
helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought:
but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be
uttered.
And he that searcheth
the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh
intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
When a person is filled
with the Spirit:
· He will say things he would not otherwise say
· He will go places he would not otherwise go
· He will in ways he would not otherwise pray
· He will forgive those he would not otherwise forgive
· He will love people he could not otherwise love
He is the same person
but because of the Holy Spirit, he is a different person.
… be not drunk with
wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Whether drunk with wine
of filled with the Spirit the person is
II. CONTROLLED
BUT ACCOUNTABLE
Daniel 5:1-6 (KJV)
Belshazzar the king made
a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
Belshazzar, whiles he
tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his
father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that
the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.
Then they brought the
golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was
at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines,
drank in them.
They drank wine, and
praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of
stone.
In the same hour came
forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the
plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the
hand that wrote.
Then the king's
countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of
his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
Notice that as
Belshazzar became drunken, he did and said things he might have done otherwise.
However he was still
accountable for them.
Daniel 5:22-28 (KJV)
And thou his son, O
Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
But hast lifted up
thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his
house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have
drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of
brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in
whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
Then was the part of the
hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
And this is the writing
that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
This is the
interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished
it.
TEKEL; Thou art weighed
in the balances, and art found wanting.
PERES; Thy kingdom is
divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
When a person gets drunk
and wrecks a car, he is accountable for the consequences.
When a person under the
influence of alcohol abuses his wife or kids, he is accountable for his
consequences.
B. When a person, filled with the Holy Spirit,
does what he wouldn’t otherwise do, he is still rewarded for it.
Philippians 4:16-17
(KJV)
For even in Thessalonica
ye sent once and again unto my necessity.
Not because I desire a
gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.
If it had not been for
that they got saved, the Philippians would not have sent support to help Paul.
· If they hadn’t listened to the Holy Spirit
· If they had not been led of the Lord
They would not have
helped Paul’s ministry.
· The Spirit of God had changed Paul so that he was a preacher
of the gospel.
· The Spirit of God changed the Philippians so that they were
generous in giving to meet his needs.
But God gave fruit to
both their accounts.
And when you and I,
following the prompting of the Spirit of God, do what we would not usually do:
· We teach a Sunday school class
· We invite a neighbor or friend to attend church with us
· We give a gospel tract to stranger we meet on the sidewalk
· We get up early to work on a bus route
· We sing from our heart to minister to God and His church
· We give what we do not think we can give in tithes and
offerings
It was God’s Holy Spirit
who led us to do it, but we receive the rewards in heaven because of it.
… be not drunk with
wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Whether drunk with wine
of filled with the Spirit the person is,
III. FOOLISH
BUT WITH FRIENDS
Isaiah 56:12 (KJV)
Come ye, say they, I
will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow
shall be as this day, and much more abundant.
People who drink often
think that somehow the alcohol improves them. They think:
· It makes them funny or
· It makes them confident or
· It makes them more thoughtful or
· It makes them good listeners
The truth is it only
makes them act foolishly – and everyone around them, who isn’t drinking sees
it.
The thing is, there are
all sorts of other people drinking who, because of the alcohol:
· Think they are funny and
· Think they are more confident and
· Think they are more thoughtful and
· Think they are better listeners
They are each, equally
deceived.
I have a relative who was, for
several years, addicted to meth.
One time while she was
still using she called me. I tried to help her. I told her that she would not
be able to quit using without changing her friends.
She said she couldn’t do
it.
· She said these friends had families who loved them too.
· She said they had people praying for them too.
She wasn’t willing to give
up using drugs if it meant giving up her using friends.
B. People who are not Spirit filled think being
Spirit filled is foolish, but people who are Spirit filled will find there
are plenty of other Spirit filled people who befriend them.
Romans 16:7-11 (KJV)
Salute Andronicus and
Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles,
who also were in Christ before me.
Greet Amplias my beloved
in the Lord.
Salute Urbane, our
helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.
Salute Apelles approved
in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus' household.
Salute Herodion my
kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the
Lord.
For time’s sake I didn’t
read all of Romans 16. The entire chapter is virtually a list of the names of
people Paul had come to love and appreciate since being saved.
Paul had lost some of
his old friends when he started preaching Jesus Christ, but he gained others by
the scores.
If you sell out for God
and you are filled with the Spirit there will be plenty of people who aren’t
comfortable being around you any more.
But there will be
others, many others, just like you who become closer friends than you could
have ever imagined before.
… be not drunk with
wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Conclusion
Unity in the church is a
miracle that is accomplished and maintained through Christian submission to and
filling with the Holy Spirit.
And therefore the Bible
urges us all to, … be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled
with the Spirit;
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