Trinity Series - Small Group Notes #8

If you have not been following this series, please go to the post for January 22 where an explanation of the format is given. Happy studying!

All of God:
Exploring the Mystery of the Trinity
Questions about the Holy Spirit, Week of March 15, 2009


Ø Ephesians 5:18: “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” The verb “filled” is in the passive voice in the Greek – in other words, it is not something we do, but something that the Spirit works in and through us. Since it is a command, however, we clearly play a role. What is our role, then? To yield to the Spirit and not get in the way with our human efforts to serve God (in the flesh). Think about the contrast of controlling elements (wine and the Spirit) of this verse, and the implications of being filled with the Spirit.

Wine was the drink of choice in the Mediterranean world where Paul’s words were directed. They would find fertile ground anywhere, though. Paul was not condemning the consumption of alcohol, but rather he was condemning drunkenness. Drunkenness leads to impaired judgment which leads to poor decisions that usually have negative consequences. The drunk often experiences a personality change and says and does things he would never do while sober. Rarely is he glad for the actions that the influence of alcohol caused in him. Many times, the drunk not only hurts himself, but those around him.

The comparison between alcohol and the Spirit is made, but is only for the purpose of showing the power of an outside agent that can overtake a person’s life when yielded to that power. In the positive case, the power is a Person – the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. The comparison ends here because the parallels between drunkenness and the Spirit’s control are superficial. From here out, there is contrast.

When the Spirit is in control of our lives, power to live in a manner beyond our natural ability creates good works that build and strengthen others in their walk with Christ. Being filled with the Spirit should lead us to worship with other believers and to submit – respect, love, and assist – to other believers, as is seen in verses 19-21.

Ø One of the reasons that the Holy Spirit fills us is to empower us to share the gospel with the lost. Spend time thinking about Acts 1:8 and the Spirit’s role in evangelism.

Spend some time thinking about the importance of sharing the gospel with the lost. This was the last thing Jesus said to His disciples before He ascended to heaven. Ask the group how they are reaching their Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Think about creative ways to engage the lost with the gospel. Before you move to the next point, spend time in prayer that God would empower you to share the gospel and that He would specifically bring opportunity to do so this week.

Ø The Holy Spirit empowers people to serve God and fellow Christians. Ephesians 4:7-8 tells us that Jesus gave (spiritual) gifts to men. 1 Corinthians 12:1 tells us that we are given spiritual gifts, and verse 7 of the same chapter indicates that the Spirit unleashes the gifts in God’s people. Without the Holy Spirit’s presence and power, “spiritual” gifts aren’t. Talk about the difference between serving God in the flesh or by the power of the Spirit.

When we are in the flesh, we serve ourselves. When we yield to the Spirit to activate the spiritual gifts that have been given to us, others are served. You may want to read all of the passages about spiritual gifts, emphasizing that they are always given for the benefit of the body. The passages are Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; Ephesians 4:9-16; 1 Peter 5:10-11.

Most of the lists contain different gifts with a bit of overlap – 19 or 20, depending on how you count them. It is highly unlikely that these lists are exhaustive, but rather, representative of the way God empowers us with His Spirit to serve others and glorify Him. If questions arise about the miracle gifts of 1 Corinthians 12, tell the group that I will be talking about them next Sunday, March 22.

Christ-followers often expend a great deal of energy defining and discussing spiritual gifts. This is not a wasted exercise – but, it is considerably more than Scripture says about the gifts. They are shared to indicate how important it is to yield to the Spirit in whatever service we render to the Lord.