“Fill ‘er Up!”
(Ephesians 5:6-21)
Series: Christ and the Church [on screen]
Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD
First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida
March 7, 2021
The Passage
Ephesians 5:6-21
6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. 7 Therefore, do not become their partners. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light— 9 for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth— 10 testing what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. 13 Everything exposed by the light is made visible, 14 for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore it is said:
Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.
15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.
Introductory Comments:
Many of you know that in my former life I was a Minister of Missions and Evangelism. I’ve been to a lot of places in the world, but none more frequent than Jamaica. One of the things they still do in Jamaica (at least they did the last time that I went) is they have a gas station attendant to pump gas for you. When you want a full tank, you say to the attendant, “Full up.” I learned this because I was often getting gas in order to drive around a van full of people. Well, in past years in the United States, we had full-service gas stations and we had a saying here as well to indicate that we wanted the gas tank filled up all the way. Do you remember what it was? It was, “Fill ‘er up!” This morning, we’re going to be talking about what it means to “Fill ‘er up” spiritually. Today, we will discover three gifts of God with which we must be filled.
Before we go any further, let’s go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to speak to us.
(prayer)
Last week, we learned about the battle of the selfs: we learned about the old self and the new self, and how we should desire to be more like the new self that God created after His own likeness. Today, Paul is continuing that same train of thought; he is continuing to show us how to be more like Jesus and less like the sinful pasts from which we were saved.
So, let us discover now these three gifts from God with which we should be filled.
First, . . .
I. Be filled with light (vv. 6-14) [on screen]
In literature, films, artwork, and most religions, darkness is often viewed as an evil element and light is viewed as a positive element. Well, it was the same in ancient Judaism and early Christianity.
Paul is encouraging the Ephesian Christians to be filled with light. Let’s look at the passage. Look at verses 6-14:
6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. 7 Therefore, do not become their partners. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light— 9 for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth— 10 testing what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. 13 Everything exposed by the light is made visible, 14 for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore it is said:
Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.
Remember, Paul has just described the battle of the selfs (the old self versus the new self), and he has just said these words in verse 5, “For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” [on screen]
Paul is now further explaining how important it is to understand the distinction between the lives of those who are in Christ and those who are not in Christ. Paul says, “Let no one deceive you . . .”
Paul knows that people are trying to deceive followers of Jesus with all kinds of silly arguments. Paul basically says, “Don’t fall for it!”
It’s so important that we understand the seriousness of this matter. Paul goes on to say, “ . . . for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things.” Don’t be like the disobedient! Don’t be like those who are without Jesus! God’s wrath is reserved for those without Jesus who give themselves to all things which Paul has spoken against.
Paul continues in verse 7, by telling us not to become partners with the disobedient. We are to avoid sin and we are to avoid the ungodly influence of sinners on us. Paul will speak some more about this idea of not letting sin have an influence on us.
Look at verse 8 again. Paul says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” Paul frequently reminds followers of Jesus of their past and where God has brought them. We were darkness but now we are light! Notice that Paul doesn’t say that we were in darkness and now we are in light; he says we were darkness and now we are light.
Well, what kind of light are we? Look at verse 8: we are light in the Lord. We are in Christ and receive all the benefits of being in Christ. Jesus is light, so also we are light. What a miracle!
Well, since we are light, what are we to do? We are to, “Walk as children of light . . .” Just like I expect my boys to grow into men who act a certain way because of who they are as my sons. I want McCraw men to be known as men of integrity, generosity, hard work, character, love, compassion, grace, humility, godliness, and more. So also, since we are light, we should walk (or live) as children of light!
Thankfully, starting in verse 9, Paul tells us a little bit of what it looks like to live as people of the light.
He says that the fruit of light, or the evidence of being people of light, “ . . . consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth . . .”
He goes on to say that people of the light, test, “ . . . what is pleasing to the Lord.” That is, they seek to understand what pleases God and then do those things.
Church, are you testing what pleases the Lord? Are you walking in the light? Are you seeking to understand and obey the ways of God?
In verses 11 and 12, Paul describes the results of walking in darkness as “fruitless” and “shameful.” He then says for us not to participate in the works of darkness, but to expose them. Now we must pay careful attention here.
Paul doesn’t want us to expose darkness by tattle-telling on darkness. He doesn’t simply want us to point out sin and to point out sinners (although that may be necessary at times). Paul says two important statements in verses 13 and 14. He says, “Everything exposed by the light is made visible . . .” and “ . . . for what makes everything visible is light.” The light is what makes visible the things of darkness. The way to expose sin is to live and love in a godly way. Just as the best way to spot counterfeit money is to know what real money looks like. So also, the best way to expose the way of darkness is to know and understand the way of light and to walk in the light!
Church, don’t put all your effort into trying to learn down sinners. Put your effort into living as light!
Finally, in this section, Paul gives this little saying (which is not found elsewhere in the Bible, by the way), which says, “Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
This was very likely a hymn of the day, or perhaps a common saying known among followers of Jesus. Paul is using this saying to make his point.
Paul is basically saying, wake up and live for Jesus! Wake up and walk in the light! Be the light of Jesus and Jesus will shine in you! What a blessing!
So, first, church, be filled with light.
Second, . . .
II. Be filled with wisdom (vv. 15-17) [on screen]
The bulk of Paul’s attention in this passage is on walking in light, but he discusses two other gifts of God that we should be filled with as well, so we’re going to discuss those as well.
This next gift is wisdom. Wisdom is not mere intelligence. Wisdom is the gaining of knowledge and applying that knowledge in an appropriate way. Generally speaking, wisdom is developed with time and experience. However, for the follower of Jesus, we can gain wisdom in a faster and fuller way because the Holy Spirit of God can supernaturally give us more and more wisdom. By the miracle of God, a ten-year-old child can be wiser than a 60-year-old adult. By the way, I’ve seen that happen.
Paul tells us here to seek wisdom. Let’s look at the passage. Look at verses 15-17:
15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
Paul says for us to pay careful attention. Why? Because the days are evil! There is so much opportunity for sin in our world. There is so much darkness. We are to avoid walking in darkness. Instead, we are to walk in light and expose the darkness. So, we must be careful to do so.
One of the tools that we need to live a life in the light is godly wisdom. We are to be wise people.
Paul says that we should avoid foolishness. Well, what do we know of foolishness? The book of Proverbs has a lot to say about foolishness.
Proverbs 12:15 says, “A fool’s way is right in his own eyes, but whoever listens to counsel is wise.” [on screen] So, let’s not seek to do what we think is right according to our own thoughts. Let’s seek the wisdom of God and seek to walk in wisdom!
Also, one of my favorite Bible verses is Proverbs 26:11, which says, “As a dog returns to its vomit, so also a fool repeats his foolishness.” [on screen] Church, we must learn not to walk in foolishness and sinfulness. We must learn from our past failures, go to the Lord, and seek to be wise. The old way is gone; let’s walk in newness. Let’s not go back to vomit!
One of the best ways for us to avoid foolishness is to “ . . . understand what the Lord’s will is.”
Here are just a few ways to understand what the Lord’s will is:
How to understand the Lord’s will: [list slide #1 on screen]
Pray. [list slide #2 on screen] Ask God to give you wisdom and to help you understand His will.
Read the Bible. [list slide #3 on screen] God’s Word is filled with wisdom. Seek to find that wisdom by reading God’s Word.
Listen. [list slide #4 on screen] As you pray, as you read God’s Word, listen and reflect. Let God speak to the ears of your heart and mind. Listen to what God may be teaching you.
Seek input from those who love God. [list slide #5 on screen] If you know that someone else loves God and His ways, seek input from that person. God can speak to you through others.
Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit. [list slide #6 on screen] We learned last week about grieving, or angering the Spirit of God. Don’t do that. Seek to be filled more and more with God’s Spirit and be in tune with what He is teaching you.
Church, if we want to be all that God has saved us to be, we must have wisdom. We have a limited time to live for God’s glory on this earth. We must make the most of our time. We must, “Pay careful attention, then, to how [we] walk.” We must reject the foolishness of the world and we must seek the supernatural wisdom of God.
Be filled with wisdom.
Finally, . . .
III. Be filled with the Spirit (vv. 18-21) [on screen]
Paul has spoken about light and wisdom, now he speaks about the most important gift that is available to us in Christ: God’s Holy Spirit!
Let’s look at this passage. Look at verses 18-21:
18 And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.
Paul gives us a wonderful comparison for us to understand the necessity to seek the influence of God’s Spirit in our lives.
Paul says not to get drunk with wine. Let’s stop here and talk about this for a moment.
First of all, Paul mentions wine here, but this same command would also apply to beer, bourbon, vodka, or any other alcoholic drink. So, let’s get that established.
Also, let me be very clear about this: drinking alcohol is not in and of itself a sin. I’ve heard preachers say that before, but I cannot twist God’s Word to say that. After all, Jesus and the apostles drank alcohol.
However, the Bible is very clear that drunkenness is a sin. There is no grey area here. Over and over and over drunkenness is condemned.
The Bible also speaks of the dangers of alcohol. Paul just said to let us walk in light, not darkness. He also said to avoid foolishness and to seek wisdom. So, here’s my advice to you, based on God’s Word (not on Baptist tradition, popular opinion of Baptist preachers, or even the official stance of our church over the years): you should be very careful with alcohol. In everything that you do, including your choice of beverage, you should seek to glorify God, you should seek to walk in light, and you should seek to be wise. Here’s another thing to think about when it comes to alcohol: how often is it portrayed as godly, wise, and full of light? So, while drinking alcohol is not necessarily a sin, you should be very careful with it.“Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise.”
If you’d like to talk more about this topic, just let me know. I’m glad to do so.
Now, let’s speak about the contrast of being filled with the Spirit instead of being filled with drunkenness.
Drunkenness takes control over someone, doesn’t it? In the famous country song by Brad Paisley, entitled Alcohol, the personification of alcohol says, “I’ve influenced kings and world leaders; I helped Hemingway write like he did; and I bet you a drink or two that I can make you put that lampshade on your head.” Brad Paisley was correct: you lose control when you are filled with alcohol.
A lot of alcohol leads to you yielding control of yourself over to a substance. Watch this, church: A lot of the Holy Spirit of God within you leads to yielding control of yourself over to God! That is what we need, church! We need to be filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit of God!
Catch this also; look at the result of being filled with the Spirit: instead of “reckless living,” which comes with being filled with alcohol, being filled with the Spirit leads to:
Being filled with the Spirit leads to (verses 19-21): [list slide #1 on screen]
. . . speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs . . . [list slide #2 on screen] Part of singing is an encouragement to each other. When we sing together, we are united as a church filled with the Spirit of God.
. . . singing and making music with your heart to the Lord . . . [list slide #3 on screen] Part of singing also is to the Lord. We make music in our hearts, as the church, for the glory of God.
. . . giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . [list slide #4 on screen] We give thanks, both individually and as a church body, for everything that the Lord has blessed us with.
. . . submitting to one another in the fear of Christ. [list slide #5 on screen] Also, part of being filled with the Spirit of God is a humble and servant-minded submission to one another that is a beautiful picture of the work of God in the life of the church and its members. By the way, Paul will speak more about submission in the next sermon that we study. Look at the submission Paul is speaking about here. Look again at verse 21. Paul says this submission is done in the “fear of Christ,” meaning that it is done in a way that honors and respects the power and authority of Jesus our Lord.
When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we live differently, love differently, sing differently, and submit to one another differently.
Be filled with the Spirit of God.
Concluding Thoughts:
My wife, Jennifer, and I just got back from a road trip. When you go on a road trip, think of all the stuff that you need: fuel, snacks, supplies, entertainment, snacks, reading material, cellphone chargers, cash, snacks, etc.. In this passage, Paul tells us what we need to live as the people God has created, called, and redeemed us to be. We must be filled with light, filled with wisdom, and filled with the Spirit.
Here’s the bottom line that we can boil all this down to:
Bottom Line: Be filled with the gifts of God so you can walk in the ways of God. [on screen]
(repeat)
Since you are in Christ, take in all the incalculable riches that come from that relationship and live for the glory of God and to advance the kingdom of God.
Just like on a road trip, you need to fill ‘er up to prepare for the trip. As you think about preparing for your spiritual road trip, challenge yourself in the following ways:
Weekly Challenge: [on screen]
1. Plan your trip. [on screen]
I like to plan trips. I like to know where I’m going, where I need to stop on the way, what we’re eating, and more.
Well, in the same way, think about what you need to do to live your life as a follower of Jesus. Take some time this week and think through and process your plan for being a faithful follower of God.
2. Pay attention to the road. [on screen]
Paul said in verse 15, “Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk.” So, in the road trip of life, pay attention to the road. Make sure you don’t swerve off track.
Take some time this week and reflect upon how you are living. Reflect upon your walk with Jesus.
3. Enjoy the ride! [on screen]
There are so many blessings to being in Christ, being filled with the Spirit of God, and living for the glory of God the Father. Enjoy the ride!
Enjoy being redeemed! Enjoy being adopted! Enjoy being a part of the Church!
Soak up all the blessings of God!
This week, think about how you can enjoy the ride.
Closing:
Church, let’s fill ‘er up! Let’s be filled with the things of God and live for the glory of God!
If you are still walking in darkness, come to the light! Come to Jesus! He’ll change you forever!
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
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