The Dynamic of Fullness

September 25, 1988 PM

Ephesians 5:18 Be (being) filled with the Spirit ...

[The summary of Ephesian practical admonition:] It is not just a parting thought . . . a wonderful "luxury" option. It is absolutely vital! Why? (And I'm NOT taking these in order of their appearing in Ephesians, but perhaps in their order of importance to me ..?)

I. THE PROMISE OF GOD'S FULLNESS

WHAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO DO FOR US

1. GOD'S FULLNESS WILL MAKE/KEEP CHRIST AT HOME IN YOU, AND YOU IN CHRIST !

   Ephesians 3:14-21 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, BEING ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN LOVE, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

   At HOME! What a wonderful word "home!" Psalm 90: 1 begins: "Lord, THOU hast been our dwelling place in all generations." Now Psalm 90 is a psalm of Moses! Did you ever think what sort of "home" Moses had?

   I love to travel and see new things. But I love to be "at home." I have a strong need for "home!" A strong sense of PLACE. But more and more the Christian realizes that "home" is NOT a place— it is a PERSON! ABIDE IN ME! Make JESUS AT HOME IN US!

   Unless and until we are 'at home' with Jesus here and now we will not be likely to KNOW HIM when He returns, or to BE AT HOME WITH HIM throughout eternity. But we have the privilege of . .

   Making HIM at home in OUR heart learning the privileges of development, intimacy, responsibility, growing reality ..the PERMANENCE of Christ RESIDENT!

   We need "eternal security!" We find that security in LIVING WITH JESUS, AT HOME IN HIM! That is what this passage is about.

   But there is another great reason:

2. GOD'S FULLNESS WILL SUSTAIN YOU IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

   (So that you can KNOW!)

   Ephesians 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, "

   CHRISTIANS DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS . . . there is mystery involved at every level, in every discipline. But Christians can know hope and riches of glory and power! And it is possible to be so "sold out" to God that the heuristic quality of faith will drive you closer, and not farther away from a personal relationship with Him. As we grow in maturity, and as we grow older and (hopefully) wiser, we realize that we know less and less of the great truths of life.

   We can either take an obscurantist position, and say: "The earth is flat!", or, we can go with the "obvious" or the current fad belief, and say "The old is out-dated, only the new is true!", OR, WE CAN SAY: "WE MAY NOT KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS— BUT WE BELONG TO THE ONE WHO DOES!"

   This is one great reason why we need to be filled with the Spirit. It doesn't give us automatic "answers"; it does make us aware of the certainty of HOPE, the RICHES OF GOD'S GLORY, and the POWER THAT TRANSFORMS LIVES!

   But there is at least one other reason:

3. GOD'S FULLNESS WILL MULTIPLY YOUR EFFECTIVENESS IN SERVING JESUS CHRIST

   Ephesians 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord [is]. 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

   Whatever we have . . . Even if we seek to use it 100% for God . . . Is only 100% of what we have. But when we bring it to Jesus and let him use it . . . then He can work His will and do as He pleases! HE can feed 5,000 . . . it is HIS business!

II. THE PATHWAY TO FULLNESS

HOW MAY WE BE FILLED THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND THUS BE THE KIND OF POWER IN THIS WORLD THAT GOD WANTS US TO BE?

1. We ARE full now . . . there are no spiritual vacuums. So God can only fill what is available to Him!
2. But whatever we may be full of, besides or apart from God, we cannot be filled with GOD unless and until we are empty of self: and there is a cross, a dying, a renunciation of the right to self that can properly be called a "death to self." What can we say about the "death" of entire consecration?

   (Holiness people may have said some extravagant things here. But still there is a truth we dare not dodge!) In viewing the paradox, the mystery of Christian faith we are guilty of seeing the side we want to see. We say "Self is not dead!" And that is true. But still— self must die! We must renounce the sovereignty of self forever!

3. [Which brings us to :] The CRISIS of entire sanctification: When we know that we have surrendered for time and eternity— and God accepts our sacrifice and comes in with His fullness, this completes the CRISIS of RECEIVING SALVATION . . . but it is not all there is to the sanctified life! HOLINESS IS AN EXPERIENCE!
4. [For there is a LIFE TO BE LIVED!] And the on-going life in the Spirit must be lived in the same kind of faith/dependency that brought the crisis of cleansing!

   The LIFE OF LIVING IN THE ADEQUACY OF THE SPIRIT! The process of the Spirit-filled life: carrying forward, learning the discipline: this is where the victory lies!

Conclusion: (The need for heroes:)

The world is waiting for people who will be filled . . . and go on being filled . . . and let God simply LIVE IN AND THROUGH THEM!

[One of the great Christians of modern day times was Methodist missionary to India, Dr. E. Stanley Jones.

As a lad in his teens (17) he was converted under the rugged ministry of Evangelist Robert J. Bateman (who went down on the Titanic.)

Stanley went on to seek and claim the experience of entire sanctification. He began to read Hanna Smith's book The Christ's Secret of a Happy Life, and on page 42 the Holy Spirit said: "Now!" Stanley obeyed, and was assured of the fullness.

He testifies that it saved him from the extremes of emotionalism and of rationalism. Stanley was "all out" for God— with no holds barred.

He professed to being called to preach— but forgot his outline in his first sermon and left the pulpit, dumbfounded. But before he got to his seat, he felt he should give his testimony; and a young man came forward and was converted [— and later entered the ministry.]

But Stanley wanted to be "being filled" with the Spirit! He told of how as a student at Asbury, in a dorm-room prayer meeting, the Holy Spirit moved in in a way that Stanley had never known before— and never knew quite the same way again.

He was "spirit (Spirit) intoxicated!" for three or four days. After a day or so the emotion almost totally wore off; but there was a sense of God's Presence that swept the entire community.

Every student in that Christian college professed to a right relationship with the Lord, along with scores of people from the community.

And for Stanley, that filling became the touchstone for a life of living in the fullness— depending on the fullness— again and again breaking into the fullness of the Presence of the Lord.

He declares he did not live on "mountaintops" or speak in tongues— did not know extremes of emotions. He simply lived in the fullness of the Presence.

He was elected a Bishop of his church— the highest honor that could be offered— and graciously declined so that he could continue a missionary in the poorest country of the world that he knew.

He touched thousands of lives.

He spoke here in 1949— and I still remember his text!

He was controversial. He was wrong many times. He said himself that there were times when he went on his own judgment and failed.

Stanley Jones learned to live in the dynamic of being filled with the Spirit. He knew his crisis of being sanctified. He had his mountaintop experience(s) of full assurance. And then he simply lived in the expectancy and the dependency and the obedience of the Spirit-filled, Spirit-dominated, Spirit- saturated life! When you looked at E. Stanley Jones you saw an ordinary man. When Stanley Jones spoke and acted, somehow Jesus was exalted!

THE WAY GOD INTENDS THAT WE LIVE IS IN THE EXPERIENCE OF THE FULLNESS.

THE WAY WE KNOW, AND CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE GOD'S FULLNESS IS THE LIFE OF CRISIS, AND CRISES . . . PLUS WE NEVER GROW BEYOND THE LIFE OF DAY BY DAY OBEDIENCE.

Do you know the fullness of the Holy Spirit just now? Have you made a complete surrender of your will to God? Are you continuing to walk in dependency on Him?

#270 Fill Me Now