Mentoring Men for the Master

I MUST, I MAY, I WILL, I SHALL, I AM

In our text Paul is conducting a “mini class” on the filling of the Holy Spirit.  His students have been born again and sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephes. 1-2), but like most Christians today have never heard or understood about the need of the infilling.  Paul makes this appeal by contrasting the drunkenness of the heathen priests with the drunkenness of the Holy Spirit by God’s people.  The heathen priests were filled with wine as they gave out their false oracles; the apostle exhorts the Ephesians not to mimic them, but to be filled with the new wine- the wonderful Holy Spirit.  The question is: “How Can We Be Filled with The Holy Spirit?

I want to give you five simple, down to earth, steps to this endeavor:

  1. Step # 1 – “I Must Be Filled” because of the –
    1. Command of God to every believer (Ephes. 5:18).
    2. The need of my soul
    3. The need of the church. To attempt the work for God with only our ability is foolish and frustrating.  So the first point is our Duty.
  2. Step # 2 – I May Have The Filling – The first point is duty; the second is privilege.  Vance Havner used to say, “If a church member is filled with the Spirit, the church considers him abnormal, when in fact he is living the normal Christian life and those not  are spiritually sub-normal.”  Too many believe they cannot be filled.  Our attitude should be: “God wants it.  God commands it.  God will do it.  I must be filled, and I may be filled.
  3. Step #3 – I Will Experience The Filling – Will is the motivation, the desire, the drive. “Whatever things you desire, you will have” (Mark 11:24, Jesus).  Don’t listen to the devil’s lie that the fullness is only for super Christians.  If not filled, pour out your heart until God (Psalm 62:5) to give you that desire, for without that desire you will never be filled.
    1. I will means – “I will search my soul for hidden sin (Psalm 139:23-24) and I will confess and forsake them (Prov. 28:13).
    2. I will means – I will give up myself – my will, my pleasure, my reputation, my honor. Many will give up something , but not all things, not realizing that partial obedience is total disobedience in God’s sight (1 Sam. 15:22-23) and delayed obedience is disobedience.

If you are saying this, allow me to take you to the cross and show you the Crucified Christ  being lifted up on the cross suffering all your sins, all our hell, your separation from God.  When you see that dying love the Father has shown us, how can you say, “I can’t do it.”  The only reply should be, “I will do it.”  The only other reply would be “I won’t do it.”  See, from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down; Did e’er such love and sorrow meet Or thorns compose so rich a crown? Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were an off’ring far too small; Love so amazing, Love so Divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all!

I will surrender ALL, not merely commit!

  1. I SHALL HAVE THE FILLING- You must give yourself as an empty vessel before God and trust Him for the filling.  When you present yourself in that matter, then ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and He will. “If ye, then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them who ask Him?”  This verse assumed you have paid the price required for filling.
  2. I AM FILLED – How do you know? By the evidence of the infilling Paul give when you are filled:  The evidence is not necessarily an emotional outburst nor a quiet calm spirit, but something even greater which some call, “The Thrill of the Fill”:
    1. You have the heart of gladness. I cannot sing well; I do not know music. The text does not require that.  Note: “Making melody in your heart…” Any person filled with the Holy Spirit will have a song in his heart.
    2. You have a heart of Gratefulness. “Giving thanks.”  I had a deacon so negative when I called on him to pray I would say, “Brother Grouchy, please lead us in a word of criticism.” But not so if one is filled with the Holy Spirit.
    3. You will have a gracious heart. That is, God will give you grace to put others first (note verse 22,23,25, etc.)
    4. You will have a heart to glorify Jesus – when you talk, you will talk about Him.