Reflections on Sunday’s Sermon

Below is a reference to the section of the New City Catechism that we went over on Sunday:

The New City Catechism

Lord’s Day 12

What Does God Require in the Ninth and Tenth Commandments?
Ninth, that we do not lie or deceive, but speak the truth in love. Tenth, that we are content, not envying anyone or resenting what God has given them or us.

Prayer

Praise God who determined to redeem us from our sins. Praise Jesus who bore our sins that we might no longer live life in pursuit of the self. Praise the Holy Spirit who indwells us and produces in us delight in our heavenly Father and His works and genuine love towards other believers. As you pray, consider making this prayer your own (this prayer was taken from The Valley of Vision a Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions).

Father of Jesus,

Give me the saving lamp of thy Spirit that I may see thee, the God of my salvation, the delight of my soul, rejoicing over me in love. Cause me to be a mirror of thy grace, to show others the joy of thy service. May my lips be well-tuned cymbals sounding thy praise, let a halo of heavenly-mindedness sparkle around me and a lamp of kindness sunbeam my path. Teach me the happy art of attending to things temporal with a mind intent on things eternal. Send me forth to have compassion on the ignorant and miserable. Help me to walk as Jesus walked, my only Savior and perfect model, his mind my inward guest, his meekness my covering garb. Let my happy place be amongst the poor in spirit, my delight the gentle ranks of the meek. Let me always esteem others better than myself, and find in true humility an heirdom to two worlds.

Scripture

Ephesians 5:18-21 - (English Standard Version)

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.

Handling the Word

Let’s break down the passage:

1. Instead of getting drunk, or lacking self-control, what are the saints to do (v. 18)?

2. Being led by the Spirit and the Word, how do we address the saints and our Lord (v. 19)?

3. Rather than complain about things, how does the Spirit of God shape our perspective on life (v. 20)?

4.How does being Spirit-filled affect our interactions with other believers (v. 21)?

Understanding and Applying

Given our new life in Christ, Paul calls us to ‘not get drunk with wine…but be filled with the Holy Spirit’ (v. 18). For reference, the Spirit leads us into a life of self-control (Gal. 5:23). Why is drunkenness in opposition to the work of the Spirit? Assuming you have seen the effects, how has drunkenness negatively impacted family or friends?
Drawing from the previous question, wine in and of itself isn’t bad, but the overconsumption of alcohol can lead to uncontrolled passions. Taking the principle from Paul’s command, what are some things, even good things, where the Spirit is working self-control so that you don’t indulge at the expense of honoring God or having healthy relationships? Further, do you see the Spirit working self-control in other areas of your life that are prone to a lack of control such as your attitude, emotions, thoughts, or words? Please share.
In Christ, the saint is enabled and thus commanded to ‘be filled with the Spirit’ (v. 18). To be filled with the Spirit is “to respond to the word of Christ, make room for its influence, give our mind to its truth, our heart to its teaching, and our will to its obedience” and is part of the “normal Christian life” (Hamilton). Given this, what might a Spirit-filled life look like on a day-to-day basis for you (John 4:24, 17:17; 1 Corinthians 2:7-12; Galatians 5:22-24)? Is there an area of your life where you may be trying to resist the Spirit’s filling or the Word’s reworking?

The Spirit-filled saint is moved to address, or speak, to ‘one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs’ (v. 19). Thus, the indwelling of the Spirit positively affects our relations with other believers and our public worship (Colossians 3:16-17). Has walking in the Spirit led you to address other saints at LG with scriptural truths for their life or circumstances? Give examples. Our public worship is not merely between us and God but much more, it encourages and instructs other saints (Merida). How might our corporate worship/singing on Sunday be an opportunity to exhort and instruct one another, rather than be a private event?
The Spirit’s indwelling leads saints to ‘sing and make melody to the Lord with their heart’ (v. 19). Prior to conversion our singing was out of formality, guilt, or nonexistent but given our new life, we desire to exalt our God with our hearts and even with our lips. Has this been true for you, is Sunday worship a time of delighting in our Triune God and His ways in your heart and at times, on your lips? Are there things that tend to distract you from truly worshipping God on Sundays and if so, what might the Spirit want to change or rework to set your heart on Christ?
Being led by the Spirit, we now ‘give thanks always and for everything to God our Father in the name of our Lord Jesus’ (v. 20). In essence, through the Spirit we become thankful whereas in the flesh, we are complainers and gossipers. In the Sunday or home group context, how has thankfulness, whether in song, word, or deed, from other believers been a source of encouragement to you? Why is a critical or complaining spirit inconsistent with being a saint—one in whom God is their Father and Jesus is their Lord (Romans 8:26-39)?

Filled with the Spirit, saints build up other believers, worship God joyfully, give thanks always, and ‘submit to one another out of reverence for Christ’ (v. 21). Led by the Spirit, believers desire to ‘honor one another above themselves’ (Romans 12:10). How has your new life under the lordship and example of Christ (Philippians 2:1-11) enabled you to submit yourself to fellow believers? Give examples. Does there happen to be a believer who you are currently unwilling to submit yourself to and if so, what needs to change (example: spouse, child, friend, boss, fellow LG member, pastor/elder, etc.)?
Praise God who calls us to receive the work of the Spirit in our lives that we might rightly worship Him and rightly serve and love the saints. How has this passage been a source of encouragement and how has this passage challenged your understanding of walking in the Spirit?

“Such are the wholesome results of the fullness of the Holy Spirit. They all concern our relationships. If we are filled with the Spirit, we shall be harmoniously related both to God (worshipping him with joy and thanksgiving) and to each other (speaking and submitting to one another). In brief, Spirit-filled believers love God and love each other, which is hardly surprising since the first fruit of the Spirit is love.” —John Stott