GROW: How To Be Filled With the Holy Spirit

Paul calls the church to pay careful attention to how it walks, not as foolish but as wise, making the most of the time because the days are evil. The command is plain: do not get drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit. The contrast is control. Wine controls to recklessness; the Spirit controls to holiness. The text presses the difference between trying to climb spiritual mountains in self-strength and simply walking away from the flesh by the Spirit’s power. Like mountains shrinking in the rearview mirror on the drive from Denver to Kansas, the flesh grows small when the Spirit governs the steps.

The Spirit indwells at new birth, yet the filling concerns influence and control. Unconfessed sin quenches the Spirit, suppressing His flame, so the fruit of the Spirit withers and the works of the flesh take over. Willpower can be selective and short; the Spirit alone fuels Christlike kindness, patience, and love toward all. Obedience to the command to be filled touches every obligation of the believer’s life. Worship life catches fire when the Spirit empowers song, gratitude, and glad-hearted praise, and nothing about that is boring. Wedded life flourishes when wives submit as to the Lord and husbands love as Christ loves the church. Work life turns a job into a lampstand as Spirit-filled workers serve with sincerity as to Christ. War life recognizes the real enemy and fights in the Spirit’s strength, where Greater is He rules the field. Witness life speaks with boldness about the mystery of the gospel, and the Spirit says to the hearer, That’s right, listen, the truth about Jesus is being told.

Paul warns the church not to waste opportunities. The Spirit-filled life begins with salvation and continues by daily surrender. Be filled is a present, continual call, not a one-time splash but a living fountain. The results show up. Toward God, adoration and thanks rise. Toward circumstances, a steady appreciation trusts God in the good, bad, and ugly. Toward others, accommodation submits in the fear of Christ, making peace possible where self once demanded its way. The prison doors stand unlocked; the Spirit leads out into freedom.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Being filled is a command The text does not offer a suggestion but issues a charge. The Spirit’s filling is expected obedience that resists reckless substitutes and yields to holy control. The contrast with drunkenness exposes who or what is running the life. A Spirit-led life is a Christ-ruled life. [48:16]
• 2. Sanctification is distance from the flesh Growth is not frantic climbing but steady walking away from sin’s pull toward Jesus’ presence. As the Spirit leads, old mountains in the rearview fade from view. This is not behavior management but re-direction of desire and influence. The Spirit makes distance possible and joyful. [42:08]
• 3. The Spirit grows fruit, not willpower Selective niceness and short tempers reveal the flesh; Spirit-produced kindness and patience embrace even the hard-to-love. Fruit is not achieved but received as the Spirit fuels Christ’s life in the believer. When the flame is quenched, the flesh takes the wheel; when He fills, Jesus shows. [47:14]
• 4. Worship burns bright when Spirit-led Bored worship signals a lack of Spirit-fire, not a lack of songs. When the Spirit empowers praise, hearts sing, gratitude overflows, and people leave changed. Spirit-filled worship fixes attention on the Lord, not on the room, the setlist, or the clock. [52:40]
• 5. War and witness demand Spirit-borne boldness Flesh cannot win spiritual battles or speak gospel mystery with courage. The Spirit strengthens the saint to stand against dark powers and emboldens the ambassador in chains to speak as he should. In warfare and witness, strength rises as Jesus increases. [58:59]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [40:21] - Grow series: Filled with the Spirit
• [41:16] - Consistency needs Spirit control
• [42:08] - Rearview mirror: away from sin
• [45:55] - Do not quench the Spirit
• [47:53] - Why the Spirit-filled life matters
• [49:03] - Competing influences vs Spirit control
• [50:57] - Ministry only by the Spirit
• [52:40] - Spirit-fired worship
• [53:13] - Spirit in marriage and home
• [55:25] - Spirit at work
• [57:00] - Spiritual warfare in the Spirit
• [58:59] - Bold witness in chains
• [64:20] - Keep being filled, daily control
• [65:22] - Marks of a Spirit-filled life

Bible Reading
Ephesians 5:15-21 (ESV)
15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 (ESV)
19 Do not quench the Spirit.

1 John 4:4 (ESV)
4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

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Observation Questions

1. What two contrasting commands does Paul give in Ephesians 5:18, and what do they represent about control in a believer’s life?
2. According to the sermon, what analogy was used to describe how walking in the Spirit creates distance from sin? [42:08]
3. What does 1 Thessalonians 5:19 warn against, and how does this relate to the “fruit of the Spirit” mentioned in the sermon? [45:55]
4. How does 1 John 4:4 frame the believer’s confidence in spiritual battles?

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Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Paul contrast being “drunk with wine” and “filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18)? What does this reveal about the nature of influence in a Christian’s life?
2. The sermon states, “Unconfessed sin quenches the Spirit.” How might unconfessed sin suppress the Spirit’s work in practical terms? [45:55]
3. What does it mean that “greater is He who is in you” (1 John 4:4) when facing challenges like fear, temptation, or spiritual opposition?
4. The analogy of mountains shrinking in the rearview mirror was used to describe sanctification. How does this imagery challenge common misconceptions about spiritual growth? [42:08]

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Application Questions

1. In what area of your life (e.g., work, relationships, habits) do you find it hardest to surrender control to the Spirit? What practical step could you take this week to invite the Spirit’s influence there?
2. Reflect on a recent moment when you relied on willpower instead of the Spirit’s strength. How might leaning on the Spirit’s fruit (e.g., patience, kindness) have changed the outcome? [47:14]
3. The sermon mentions that “bored worship signals a lack of Spirit-fire.” When have you felt disconnected or disengaged during worship? What could help you refocus on the Spirit’s role in your worship? [52:40]
4. Identify one relationship (e.g., spouse, coworker, friend) where you struggle to show Christlike love or patience. How could being “filled with the Spirit” transform your interactions this week?
5. The sermon warns against wasting opportunities to live boldly for Christ. What is one situation where fear has held you back from sharing the gospel, and how could the Spirit’s boldness empower you? [58:59]
6. Are there any unconfessed sins or habits you’ve been tolerating that might be “quenching the Spirit”? What would repentance and surrender look like in this area? [45:55]