WEBVTT - Under the Influence – Part 1 0:00:00.840 --> 0:00:03.880 What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Well, 0:00:03.880 --> 0:00:06.319 that's the question today on bold steps. 0:00:06.800 --> 0:00:09.639 When we are full of the spirit, we act in 0:00:09.640 --> 0:00:13.560 ways that we normally would not act. We say things 0:00:13.560 --> 0:00:16.960 that we would normally not say. We have attitudes that 0:00:16.960 --> 0:00:20.320 we normally would not have. We behave in ways that 0:00:20.320 --> 0:00:23.480 are different than we normally would have, because it's the 0:00:23.480 --> 0:00:27.120 influence and the filling of the Holy Spirit of God. 0:00:39.840 --> 0:00:43.640 Welcome to Bold Steps with Mark. Mark is founding pastor 0:00:43.640 --> 0:00:47.120 of New Life Community Church in Chicago. I'm Wayne Sheppard. 0:00:47.680 --> 0:00:50.040 Now today we're going to be talking about the influence 0:00:50.040 --> 0:00:52.520 of the Spirit of God has on our lives. And Mark, 0:00:52.560 --> 0:00:55.080 tied into this topic is that question what is the 0:00:55.080 --> 0:00:55.960 will of God? 0:00:56.280 --> 0:00:59.120 Wayne. So many times I have people ask me, what 0:00:59.120 --> 0:01:03.440 is God's will for my life. And so this passage 0:01:03.440 --> 0:01:07.119 is very clear. I'm not sure exactly if it's going 0:01:07.160 --> 0:01:10.679 to clarify whether it's this woman you should marry or 0:01:10.720 --> 0:01:11.240 that house. 0:01:11.240 --> 0:01:12.759 You should buy a Ford or Chevy. 0:01:12.959 --> 0:01:17.360 Exactly. Or a Tesla. But what it does clarify is 0:01:17.360 --> 0:01:21.319 that it starts by indicating that the will of God 0:01:21.360 --> 0:01:24.800 is that you be filled with the spirit, which will 0:01:24.800 --> 0:01:27.520 influence your life to live for God in a way 0:01:27.520 --> 0:01:29.119 that you never anticipated. 0:01:29.160 --> 0:01:31.119 Well, there's a lot to cover here, so let's dive 0:01:31.160 --> 0:01:33.199 right into this new series and the start of today's 0:01:33.200 --> 0:01:36.400 message entitled Under the Influence. 0:01:38.280 --> 0:01:43.000 More than any kind of alcohol content would change our behavior. 0:01:43.000 --> 0:01:46.120 The Spirit of God, the influence of the spirit also 0:01:46.120 --> 0:01:49.400 does the same. So take your Bibles this morning and 0:01:49.400 --> 0:01:53.200 turn to Ephesians chapter five, and we're going to be 0:01:53.200 --> 0:01:58.240 looking at verses 15 through 18 of Ephesians chapter five. 0:01:59.320 --> 0:02:06.490 Be very careful, then, how you live. Not as unwise, 0:02:07.610 --> 0:02:13.650 but as wise. Making the most of every opportunity. Because 0:02:13.650 --> 0:02:18.570 the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but 0:02:18.570 --> 0:02:23.330 understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not 0:02:23.330 --> 0:02:30.609 get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be 0:02:30.610 --> 0:02:34.930 filled with the spirit speaking to one another in psalms 0:02:34.930 --> 0:02:38.169 and hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in 0:02:38.169 --> 0:02:41.370 your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God 0:02:41.370 --> 0:02:45.010 the Father for everything. In the name of our Lord 0:02:45.010 --> 0:02:51.810 Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Now, 0:02:51.810 --> 0:02:54.770 before I jump thoroughly into this passage, I want to 0:02:54.810 --> 0:02:59.970 focus on one small phrase and one small verse that says, 0:03:00.290 --> 0:03:05.130 do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, 0:03:05.370 --> 0:03:10.410 be filled with the spirit. The first question I want 0:03:10.450 --> 0:03:15.850 to answer is this. Why is getting drunk on wine 0:03:15.850 --> 0:03:19.370 and being filled with the spirit in the same verse? 0:03:20.610 --> 0:03:24.450 What does getting drunk on wine have anything to do 0:03:24.690 --> 0:03:28.370 with being filled with the spirit? It says do not 0:03:28.370 --> 0:03:33.650 get drunk on wine. Wherein is debauchery? How many of 0:03:33.650 --> 0:03:39.570 you have ever heard that word debauchery? Okay, most of 0:03:39.570 --> 0:03:41.930 us have heard that word, but we're not sure what 0:03:41.930 --> 0:03:46.770 it means. The word debauchery sounds bad as it is, 0:03:46.770 --> 0:03:55.450 doesn't it? Debauchery. The word debauchery means overindulging in something 0:03:55.650 --> 0:04:00.690 so that it leads to out of control living. It 0:04:00.820 --> 0:04:05.020 means that you've had excess of something so that it 0:04:05.060 --> 0:04:09.700 results in out of control unlimited, something that has no 0:04:09.700 --> 0:04:13.460 limits or boundaries, and it's out of control in a 0:04:13.460 --> 0:04:17.940 bad way. So the apostle Paul is comparing getting drunk 0:04:17.940 --> 0:04:20.940 on wine with being filled with the spirit. What is 0:04:20.940 --> 0:04:26.219 the comparison? Well, when someone goes out and drinks wine, 0:04:26.220 --> 0:04:30.500 it's a substance or alcohol or any anything that has 0:04:30.540 --> 0:04:34.380 alcohol in it. It's a substance that if you have 0:04:34.380 --> 0:04:37.020 too much of it, what it begins to do, it 0:04:37.020 --> 0:04:41.700 begins to alter your natural behavior. It begins to change 0:04:41.700 --> 0:04:44.660 the way that you would normally function because you are 0:04:44.660 --> 0:04:48.820 under an influence, an outside influence that makes you a 0:04:48.820 --> 0:04:53.580 different person. Uh, there are individuals that are normally quiet 0:04:53.580 --> 0:04:57.700 and polite that with a little extra alcohol in their system, 0:04:57.700 --> 0:05:04.340 suddenly become loud, obnoxious, and aggressive. There are people that 0:05:04.339 --> 0:05:08.539 are normally pretty reserved and get enough alcohol in their system, 0:05:08.540 --> 0:05:12.300 and they're dancing on the tables now. Uh, because what 0:05:12.300 --> 0:05:17.060 it does is it alters someone's behavior. It, it changes 0:05:17.060 --> 0:05:21.059 the way they, they talk and the way they behave. It, 0:05:21.100 --> 0:05:25.420 it causes restraints to be off. And I talk to 0:05:25.620 --> 0:05:29.140 women that are married to men that are alcoholics or 0:05:29.140 --> 0:05:31.900 drink too much. And they say, well, he's not normally 0:05:31.900 --> 0:05:40.220 that way, but when he drinks, he becomes like this. Uh, 0:05:40.220 --> 0:05:42.660 he must have been drunk. We say we hear of 0:05:42.660 --> 0:05:46.460 someone that behaves a certain way. That surprises us, an 0:05:46.460 --> 0:05:48.660 act of violence. And we say, well, they're not that way. 0:05:48.660 --> 0:05:53.180 That's not them. They must have been drunk because we 0:05:53.180 --> 0:05:57.660 understand that under the influence of alcohol, people do and 0:05:57.660 --> 0:06:00.830 say things and act in ways and do things that 0:06:00.830 --> 0:06:05.950 normally they would not do because it's leading to debauchery. 0:06:08.230 --> 0:06:14.430 In contrast to that, the Holy Spirit of God is 0:06:14.430 --> 0:06:19.230 also an outside force that has influence on our life. 0:06:20.390 --> 0:06:26.270 And like wine, the filling of the spirit becomes an 0:06:26.270 --> 0:06:29.630 influence upon our life. And when we are full of 0:06:29.630 --> 0:06:33.110 the spirit, we act in ways that we normally would 0:06:33.110 --> 0:06:37.470 not act. We say things that we would normally not say. 0:06:37.630 --> 0:06:41.109 We have attitudes that we normally would not have. We 0:06:41.110 --> 0:06:44.350 behave in ways that are different than we normally would have, 0:06:44.390 --> 0:06:47.869 because it's the influence and the filling of the Holy 0:06:47.870 --> 0:06:53.909 Spirit of God. That person that's normally shy when they're 0:06:53.910 --> 0:06:58.270 full of the spirit, suddenly speak up with boldness and 0:06:58.270 --> 0:07:00.990 talk about the things of God like they normally would 0:07:00.990 --> 0:07:04.710 not do because they're full of the spirit. That person 0:07:04.710 --> 0:07:07.950 that's normally hard and calloused suddenly, when they're full of 0:07:07.950 --> 0:07:12.830 the spirit, have a degree of compassion, a degree of 0:07:12.830 --> 0:07:15.390 of love and heart that comes out that they normally 0:07:15.390 --> 0:07:18.150 would not have. But since they're full of the spirit, 0:07:18.150 --> 0:07:21.790 suddenly they have a compassion and a concern for things 0:07:21.790 --> 0:07:24.910 that they would normally not have. That person that's normally 0:07:24.910 --> 0:07:30.790 out of control or full of anxiety under situations of stress. Now, finally, 0:07:30.790 --> 0:07:33.510 because they're full of the spirit, they're acting in a 0:07:33.510 --> 0:07:36.750 peaceful way. They're not losing their temper. And someone says, 0:07:36.750 --> 0:07:40.790 what's wrong with you? They're full of the spirit. That 0:07:40.790 --> 0:07:45.430 person that's normally not very expressive. You find them at 0:07:45.430 --> 0:07:50.910 a worship service worshiping God with abandon and emotion, and 0:07:50.910 --> 0:07:54.110 you say, hey, what's going on with that person? They're 0:07:54.110 --> 0:08:00.070 not behaving like themselves. Why? Because they're full of the spirit. 0:08:00.800 --> 0:08:05.800 You see, it's an outside influence that alters our behavior. 0:08:05.960 --> 0:08:09.240 And so the apostle Paul says, I do not want 0:08:09.240 --> 0:08:13.040 you to be influenced or drunk with wine, because that 0:08:13.080 --> 0:08:16.960 leads to debauchery. But instead, I want you to be 0:08:16.960 --> 0:08:20.720 full of the substance of the person of the Holy Spirit, 0:08:20.720 --> 0:08:26.480 because he will alter your behavior in a positive direction. Now, 0:08:26.480 --> 0:08:28.880 what we need to clarify about the filling of the 0:08:28.880 --> 0:08:33.600 spirit is that some people believe, or the image that 0:08:33.600 --> 0:08:36.160 they have when we say be filled with the spirit, 0:08:36.360 --> 0:08:38.920 is they have the image of a glass that's being 0:08:38.920 --> 0:08:43.320 filled with water. And so it's either half filled or, 0:08:43.480 --> 0:08:48.240 or a quarter filled or three fourths filled. And we 0:08:48.240 --> 0:08:51.120 have that image. And sometimes we think that the Holy 0:08:51.120 --> 0:08:54.320 Spirit is like a liquid, or the Holy Spirit is 0:08:54.320 --> 0:08:58.000 just a power, or the Holy Spirit is just a wind. 0:08:59.000 --> 0:09:02.840 The Holy Spirit is just a force. The Holy Spirit 0:09:02.840 --> 0:09:06.480 is a person, not a liquid, not a power, not 0:09:06.480 --> 0:09:10.240 a wind, not a force. The Holy Spirit is a person. 0:09:10.240 --> 0:09:13.920 So therefore, to be filled with the Holy Spirit means 0:09:13.920 --> 0:09:18.000 to be filled with the person. A better image to 0:09:18.000 --> 0:09:20.959 have in mind instead of a glass is an image 0:09:20.960 --> 0:09:26.400 of a sail boat. If you've ever seen a sailboat, uh, 0:09:26.400 --> 0:09:31.000 that that is sailing along the shore, a wind will 0:09:31.000 --> 0:09:35.920 come and that wind, as though sales are up, the 0:09:35.920 --> 0:09:39.959 wind will catch those sails and those sales will be 0:09:39.960 --> 0:09:44.280 inflated with the wind, and that wind will begin to drive. 0:09:44.280 --> 0:09:48.440 It is the power behind that sailboat because it catches 0:09:48.440 --> 0:09:52.800 the wind and it influences the course of that sailboat. 0:09:52.800 --> 0:09:56.720 Such is the Holy Spirit upon us. To be filled 0:09:56.720 --> 0:10:00.570 with the spirit means that the person, the third person 0:10:00.570 --> 0:10:04.730 of the Godhead. The Holy Spirit has such an influence 0:10:04.730 --> 0:10:08.209 upon our lives that he begins to change who we 0:10:08.210 --> 0:10:13.410 are and begins to alter us. Now, another thing to 0:10:13.450 --> 0:10:15.850 keep in mind about this phrase where it says, be 0:10:15.850 --> 0:10:20.050 filled with the spirit. In order to understand exactly what 0:10:20.050 --> 0:10:22.450 this is saying, we need to go a little bit 0:10:22.450 --> 0:10:26.290 to the Greek. Now you say, well, hey, I don't 0:10:26.290 --> 0:10:28.610 speak Greek, just English. Why do we need to go 0:10:28.610 --> 0:10:30.210 to the Greek? Well, most of you know that the 0:10:30.210 --> 0:10:35.490 New Testament was written originally in ancient Greek language, right? 0:10:35.929 --> 0:10:39.450 New Testament was written in the Greek. Old Testament was 0:10:39.450 --> 0:10:43.290 written in Hebrew and Aramaic. So if we want to 0:10:43.330 --> 0:10:47.770 go to the sometimes to get the nuances of a phrase, 0:10:47.970 --> 0:10:51.170 we need to go to the original language and look 0:10:51.170 --> 0:10:54.650 at the how it was written in the original language. 0:10:55.210 --> 0:11:00.970 In this case, the word be filled with the spirit. 0:11:00.970 --> 0:11:04.690 It's a verb. The word filling is a verb. It's 0:11:04.690 --> 0:11:08.050 written in a verb tense that those of you that 0:11:08.090 --> 0:11:15.290 remember your English, it's in the present passive imperative. Most 0:11:15.290 --> 0:11:19.250 of you, that means nothing because you've forgotten your English already. 0:11:19.730 --> 0:11:24.650 And I know you. Those were school days stuff. And 0:11:24.650 --> 0:11:28.969 right now present passive imperative means nothing to you. But 0:11:28.970 --> 0:11:33.370 let me refresh your memory a bit. Imperative means that's 0:11:33.370 --> 0:11:36.770 not an option. It's a command. So this is a command. 0:11:36.770 --> 0:11:41.050 Be filled is a command, not a suggestion, not an option. 0:11:41.050 --> 0:11:44.810 It's in the imperative form. So be filled is a command. 0:11:45.809 --> 0:11:49.610 Passive means that it's not something that you do do 0:11:49.610 --> 0:11:53.290 to yourself, but it's something that you receive that's done 0:11:53.290 --> 0:11:57.370 to you. It's in the passive form. So it's a command. 0:11:57.570 --> 0:12:02.579 It's done to you and present means that it's not 0:12:02.620 --> 0:12:06.939 a it's not an event that's occurred in the past, 0:12:07.620 --> 0:12:12.020 but it's an event that is currently occurring in your life. 0:12:12.580 --> 0:12:17.819 So a better translation of this would be continue or 0:12:17.820 --> 0:12:22.460 keep being filled with the Spirit of God. The filling 0:12:22.500 --> 0:12:24.860 of the spirit is not an event that happens in 0:12:24.860 --> 0:12:28.220 the past. The. The filling of the spirit is a 0:12:28.220 --> 0:12:34.380 continuous ongoing cycle that happens in your life. In other words, 0:12:34.380 --> 0:12:38.100 the translation is keep being filled with the Spirit of 0:12:38.100 --> 0:12:42.900 God on an ongoing basis. Are you tracking with me? 0:12:43.460 --> 0:12:46.180 So it's a command. We gotta do it. It's something 0:12:46.179 --> 0:12:48.819 that happens to us, and it's something that needs to 0:12:48.820 --> 0:12:51.860 continue to happen to us, not as something someone says, well, 0:12:51.860 --> 0:12:54.460 I got filled with the spirit ten years ago. Hey, 0:12:54.460 --> 0:12:56.620 let me tell you, if it was ten years ago 0:12:56.620 --> 0:12:58.900 and you haven't been filled with the spirit again, then 0:12:58.900 --> 0:13:02.780 there's a problem here because this was not something that 0:13:02.780 --> 0:13:05.260 happened way back then. This is something that should continue 0:13:05.260 --> 0:13:08.820 to happen day by day in our lives. 0:13:14.540 --> 0:13:16.780 Well, we're going to hear more about this process of 0:13:16.780 --> 0:13:19.700 being filled with the spirit. We'll continue with today's message 0:13:19.700 --> 0:13:22.179 from Mark Jobe in a moment. You're listening to Bold Steps, 0:13:22.179 --> 0:13:24.100 and Mark Jobe is right here in the studio with 0:13:24.100 --> 0:13:24.660 me today. 0:13:25.179 --> 0:13:28.460 Yeah, Wayne. And we love to hear from our listeners 0:13:28.460 --> 0:13:31.179 and we love that so many of you have jumped 0:13:31.220 --> 0:13:37.540 on board and become bold partners, which is our monthly givers. And, uh, 0:13:37.660 --> 0:13:41.940 you know, here's a response from someone in Lakewood, California, 0:13:41.940 --> 0:13:45.179 to Kara who, who listens, by the way, through K 0:13:45.220 --> 0:13:48.620 wave and wrote this. Your ministry is such a blessing 0:13:48.620 --> 0:13:52.340 and timely encouragement. Thank you. Thank you. Well, we love 0:13:52.340 --> 0:13:55.580 to hear those words of encouragement. And, uh, I want 0:13:55.620 --> 0:13:59.220 to say that you are encouraging people like Takara. You're 0:13:59.220 --> 0:14:03.230 encouraging people in Malawi, Africa. You're encouraging people really all 0:14:03.230 --> 0:14:06.270 over the United States, many of whom have never heard 0:14:06.270 --> 0:14:10.190 the gospel or are exploring. And we hear testimonies like 0:14:10.190 --> 0:14:13.470 that all the time. So what we call bold partners 0:14:13.470 --> 0:14:18.870 really help us spread the gospel of Jesus. And so, Wayne, 0:14:18.870 --> 0:14:21.150 if someone says, you know, I've been thinking about giving, 0:14:21.150 --> 0:14:24.670 I'd like to become a monthly giver, a bold partner. 0:14:24.670 --> 0:14:25.590 How could they do that? 0:14:25.590 --> 0:14:28.630 It's very simple, really. Just go to our website, bold steps.org. 0:14:28.670 --> 0:14:31.150 You can choose the amount to give every month. That's 0:14:31.150 --> 0:14:34.590 entirely up to you at bold steps.org. But if you 0:14:34.590 --> 0:14:38.030 do give $30 or more a month, you'll receive a 50% 0:14:38.030 --> 0:14:40.910 discount off the purchase of any item in the Moody 0:14:40.910 --> 0:14:45.150 Publishers catalog, plus a signed copy of Mark's book, unstuck 0:14:45.150 --> 0:14:47.670 out of your Cave and into your call. I hope 0:14:47.710 --> 0:14:50.630 we're keeping you real busy signing books here in the future, Mark. 0:14:50.630 --> 0:14:52.510 I hope we have a great response to this. So 0:14:52.550 --> 0:14:56.350 become a Bold Steps partner today at bold steps.org. All right, 0:14:56.350 --> 0:14:59.870 let's get back into the message now called Under the Influence. 0:15:05.320 --> 0:15:08.960 Now, let me talk to you for a moment about 0:15:09.480 --> 0:15:13.320 what happens when we're filled with the spirit. Let's go 0:15:13.320 --> 0:15:16.320 back to verse 15. It says, be careful then, how 0:15:16.320 --> 0:15:20.320 you live, not as unwise, but as wise. You know, 0:15:20.320 --> 0:15:21.960 there's a lot of people that don't live their lives 0:15:21.960 --> 0:15:28.200 very wisely. Verse 16, making the most of every opportunity 0:15:28.200 --> 0:15:32.280 because the days are evil. A lot of us live 0:15:32.280 --> 0:15:35.240 our lives not very wisely. We waste a lot of 0:15:35.240 --> 0:15:38.920 our life. And what the Apostle Paul is telling us, 0:15:39.760 --> 0:15:41.640 by the way, I know it refers to the filling 0:15:41.680 --> 0:15:44.600 of the spirit because it says because the days are evil. 0:15:44.640 --> 0:15:48.720 Verse 17 says, therefore do not be foolish. And every 0:15:48.720 --> 0:15:50.840 time you see the word, therefore in the Bible, you 0:15:50.840 --> 0:15:54.440 need to ask yourself, what? What is it there for? 0:15:55.560 --> 0:15:57.800 And usually when you see the word, therefore, it means 0:15:57.800 --> 0:16:02.400 that it's building on a previous thought. Don't be unwise. 0:16:02.400 --> 0:16:06.120 Use every opportunity. Therefore, be filled with the spirit in others. 0:16:06.120 --> 0:16:11.000 Because of this, be filled with the spirit. So. The 0:16:11.000 --> 0:16:13.120 first thing that the filling of the spirit does is 0:16:13.120 --> 0:16:19.080 it makes us take advantage of spiritual opportunities. You see, 0:16:19.080 --> 0:16:21.040 a lot of people, I believe are wasting a lot 0:16:21.040 --> 0:16:26.720 of their life. You have talents, you have gifting, you have, uh, uh, abilities. 0:16:26.720 --> 0:16:29.680 But oftentimes we waste a lot of that because we're 0:16:29.680 --> 0:16:32.840 not filled with the spirit. And what happens when we're 0:16:32.840 --> 0:16:37.080 not filled with the spirit is that we become somewhat 0:16:37.120 --> 0:16:41.400 unaware of the spiritual world and the values of the kingdom. 0:16:41.400 --> 0:16:45.560 We walk right by them because we're preoccupied with life, 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:50.320 and we're doing very little with spiritual, eternal value to 0:16:50.360 --> 0:16:55.040 them because we're not filled with the spirit. But you see, 0:16:55.320 --> 0:17:00.800 whatever we're conscious of, whatever we're filled with It typically 0:17:00.800 --> 0:17:05.160 is what we're going to be conscious of. The person 0:17:05.160 --> 0:17:08.040 that spends all their time down at Wall Street watching 0:17:08.040 --> 0:17:12.200 the stock market and investment. They're very conscious of money. 0:17:12.200 --> 0:17:15.560 They see the world through the eyes of money. They 0:17:15.600 --> 0:17:18.479 any blip in the stock market and they're there. They 0:17:18.480 --> 0:17:21.879 don't want to miss an opportunity for investment because they 0:17:21.880 --> 0:17:26.160 think and breathe money and they're conscious of it. And 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:29.200 anybody talks about money, they're aware of it because they're 0:17:29.200 --> 0:17:32.800 very attuned to that whole world. Why? Because they're full 0:17:32.800 --> 0:17:36.320 of that someone that is full of sports and, and, 0:17:36.320 --> 0:17:38.440 and that's what they, they, they have a heart for 0:17:38.480 --> 0:17:42.000 a desire for any, they, they know all the stats 0:17:42.000 --> 0:17:44.320 and the sports. They know who's winning and who's losing 0:17:44.320 --> 0:17:47.480 and what's going on because they're filled with that, uh, 0:17:47.480 --> 0:17:50.840 someone that's on the prowl, uh, for on the dating 0:17:50.840 --> 0:17:53.440 prowl and they really want a wife or really want 0:17:53.440 --> 0:17:55.960 a husband. That's what fills their mind. They know when 0:17:55.960 --> 0:17:57.960 a new single walks in and where they're at and 0:17:57.960 --> 0:18:00.609 who has rings and who doesn't and who's available and 0:18:00.609 --> 0:18:03.530 who's not, because they're filled with that and they don't 0:18:03.530 --> 0:18:05.969 want to waste an opportunity. If they meet a new single, 0:18:05.970 --> 0:18:07.770 they want to make sure I'm going to make my 0:18:07.770 --> 0:18:12.450 way through the crowd back there, because I see one now, 0:18:12.450 --> 0:18:15.170 when you're filled with the spirit, what it means is 0:18:15.170 --> 0:18:18.450 that you're filled with the Spirit of God so that 0:18:18.450 --> 0:18:23.010 you don't want to miss or waste any spiritual opportunity, 0:18:23.890 --> 0:18:27.090 because opportunities are all around us to make a difference 0:18:27.090 --> 0:18:29.810 for God. And when we're filled with the spirit, the 0:18:29.810 --> 0:18:34.850 Holy Spirit inside of us, quickens us, reminds us of 0:18:34.850 --> 0:18:37.690 the opportunities that are coming our way. And so our 0:18:37.690 --> 0:18:40.970 spiritual eyes are open to people that we can talk to, 0:18:41.010 --> 0:18:44.090 things that we can do, opportunities that we don't want 0:18:44.130 --> 0:18:48.570 to miss because we're spiritually alive. The spiritually dead person, 0:18:48.609 --> 0:18:51.729 the person that's not full of the spirit, misses most 0:18:51.730 --> 0:18:54.889 of those opportunities because they're not full of the Spirit 0:18:54.890 --> 0:18:58.369 of God. The second thing that the filling of the 0:18:58.369 --> 0:19:01.460 spirit does is that the filling of the spirit that 0:19:01.460 --> 0:19:03.139 I want you to understand about the filling of the 0:19:03.140 --> 0:19:06.899 spirit is that the filling of the spirit is the 0:19:06.900 --> 0:19:13.940 will of God for every follower of Christ. Often as 0:19:13.940 --> 0:19:18.140 a pastor, I have people ask me what God's will is. 0:19:19.060 --> 0:19:22.460 I say, pastor, I want to know God's will. I'm 0:19:22.460 --> 0:19:27.980 thinking about moving. I'm looking at Texas or California, but 0:19:27.980 --> 0:19:29.899 I don't know if it got if God's will. I'm 0:19:29.900 --> 0:19:34.180 praying that I would know God's will. Hey, I have 0:19:34.180 --> 0:19:37.940 a job opportunity to move to another and I'm thinking 0:19:37.940 --> 0:19:40.740 about it, but I'm not sure. I'm unclear. I want 0:19:40.780 --> 0:19:44.540 to know, is it God's will? I'm thinking about selling 0:19:44.540 --> 0:19:46.980 my house and moving to another area of the city. But. 0:19:46.980 --> 0:19:50.940 But I want to know, is it God's will? I'm 0:19:50.940 --> 0:19:53.980 in a dating relationship. It's getting serious now, and I 0:19:53.980 --> 0:19:56.220 know he's going to pop the question pretty soon, but 0:19:56.220 --> 0:19:58.179 I want to know, is it in the center of 0:19:58.180 --> 0:20:00.700 God's will? Is it God's will that I should marry 0:20:00.700 --> 0:20:04.260 this person? I'm not. I'm a little bit unsure about it, 0:20:04.260 --> 0:20:08.220 so I'm wondering what is God's will? I get asked 0:20:08.220 --> 0:20:10.859 that question a lot. What is God's will? I'm trying 0:20:10.859 --> 0:20:13.860 to figure out God's will because we know that if 0:20:13.859 --> 0:20:16.379 we walk in the center of God's will, it's the 0:20:16.380 --> 0:20:18.939 best place for us to be. The center of God's 0:20:18.940 --> 0:20:22.900 will is where we need to be. And hopefully some 0:20:22.900 --> 0:20:25.020 of you around this place have been asking. I want 0:20:25.060 --> 0:20:29.420 to make sure it's God's will. James tells us not 0:20:29.420 --> 0:20:35.300 to make big plans without saying if God wills those 0:20:35.300 --> 0:20:38.020 that go out and make plans about the future and 0:20:38.020 --> 0:20:40.340 boast about what they're going to do and boast about 0:20:40.340 --> 0:20:43.780 what's going to happen tomorrow, James says, be careful. Your 0:20:43.780 --> 0:20:45.980 life is like a vapor. It's here one moment, it's 0:20:46.020 --> 0:20:48.379 gone the next. What you should be saying is, I 0:20:48.420 --> 0:20:54.940 will do this and this if God wills. And some 0:20:54.940 --> 0:20:58.940 of our language has, has, has, has that. And in 0:20:58.980 --> 0:21:01.540 English They used to used to refer to that if 0:21:01.540 --> 0:21:05.179 God wills. In Spanish, it's still a part of is 0:21:07.060 --> 0:21:09.380 a part of the expression. I'll do that if God 0:21:09.380 --> 0:21:13.940 wills me to do it. How do I know God's will? 0:21:13.940 --> 0:21:15.820 I want to give you a quick insight into the 0:21:15.820 --> 0:21:18.660 will of God. I know God's will for your life. 0:21:19.780 --> 0:21:23.100 You say, pastor, you do I? Absolutely. I want to 0:21:23.100 --> 0:21:25.460 give you this morning God's will for your life. If 0:21:25.460 --> 0:21:27.060 you came in this place saying, I want to know 0:21:27.060 --> 0:21:30.140 God's will, then I'm going to give you the first 0:21:30.140 --> 0:21:33.460 step in understanding God's will for your life. Are you ready? 0:21:34.820 --> 0:21:38.980 It tells us in this passage, therefore do not be foolish. 0:21:39.140 --> 0:21:45.620 Foolish is the opposite of wise, spiritually speaking. Don't be foolish, 0:21:46.380 --> 0:21:51.660 be wise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 0:21:52.460 --> 0:21:56.860 Don't be foolish. Understand God's will. The Apostle Paul is saying, 0:21:56.859 --> 0:22:00.230 I want you to understand God's will for your life. 0:22:00.750 --> 0:22:05.070 Don't be foolish. Don't pass it by. Understand God's will. 0:22:05.070 --> 0:22:09.189 And then he says this. Don't get drunk with wine, 0:22:09.670 --> 0:22:13.389 but instead be full of the spirit. Can I tell 0:22:13.390 --> 0:22:15.229 you this morning what God's will is for your life? 0:22:15.270 --> 0:22:18.270 God's will for your life today is that you be 0:22:18.270 --> 0:22:22.190 filled with the spirit. If you get in the will 0:22:22.230 --> 0:22:27.550 of God personally, then you will find yourself in the 0:22:27.550 --> 0:22:30.470 middle of the will of God in your big decisions 0:22:30.470 --> 0:22:32.109 in life. Hey, Jack. 0:22:44.390 --> 0:22:47.390 You've been listening to Bold Steps, the Bible teaching ministry 0:22:47.390 --> 0:22:49.150 of Mark Jobe. In the first part of a new 0:22:49.150 --> 0:22:53.430 message titled Under the Influence. We'll continue this insightful lesson 0:22:53.430 --> 0:22:56.070 on our program. But in the meantime, we invite you 0:22:56.070 --> 0:22:59.510 to head over to our website, Bold steps.org, and check 0:22:59.550 --> 0:23:02.710 out all the exciting opportunities and resources we're currently offering, 0:23:02.710 --> 0:23:05.709 like our latest Bold Step gift. Mark, we live in 0:23:05.710 --> 0:23:08.030 a world that pushes back hard on the idea that 0:23:08.030 --> 0:23:10.750 Jesus is the only way to God that claims sounds 0:23:10.750 --> 0:23:14.590 exclusive to some even intolerant. How do you, as a pastor, 0:23:14.590 --> 0:23:15.870 approach that conversation? 0:23:16.070 --> 0:23:20.470 You know, I've had that question asked often, especially when 0:23:20.470 --> 0:23:25.470 someone has embraced some other way to God, divinity, enlightenment, 0:23:25.470 --> 0:23:28.070 and they say, well, how could Jesus be the only way? 0:23:28.109 --> 0:23:29.990 Or how do you know that he's the only way? 0:23:30.830 --> 0:23:34.430 Those questions need to be tackled with compassion, but also 0:23:34.430 --> 0:23:39.550 with clarity, because the Bible is not ambiguous about Jesus 0:23:39.550 --> 0:23:41.949 being the way. But we need to be able to 0:23:41.950 --> 0:23:44.350 do it in a in a gracious way. And if 0:23:44.390 --> 0:23:48.150 you've asked yourself some of those questions, one of the 0:23:48.190 --> 0:23:52.110 books that is helped so many people, thousands and thousands 0:23:52.109 --> 0:23:54.070 of people, is The case for. 0:23:54.070 --> 0:23:58.629 Faith by Lee Strobel, who was stuck himself in trying 0:23:58.630 --> 0:24:04.960 to embrace Christianity. And as an investigative reporter whose wife became, uh, 0:24:05.000 --> 0:24:08.840 engaged in Christianity, he said, let me look at this myself. 0:24:08.880 --> 0:24:10.720 Right. I don't believe it, but I'll check it out. 0:24:10.720 --> 0:24:13.960 And became a believer in the process. And he's had 0:24:13.960 --> 0:24:18.800 a real heart to help people stuck in exploring Christianity, 0:24:18.840 --> 0:24:22.040 sort of get past some of those barriers. So I 0:24:22.040 --> 0:24:24.560 believe that this book will be a real blessing to 0:24:24.600 --> 0:24:25.440 a lot of people. 0:24:25.560 --> 0:24:28.320 Well, give your donation and request this book, The Case 0:24:28.320 --> 0:24:34.959 for Faith. Call us at 800 D.L. Moody, that's (800) 356-6639, 0:24:35.119 --> 0:24:39.880 or give online at bold steps.org/give. If you'd rather reach 0:24:39.880 --> 0:24:42.160 out through the mail, that's fine. Feel free to write 0:24:42.160 --> 0:24:44.919 to us and send your donation that way to bold Steps. 0:24:45.119 --> 0:24:51.160 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois. 606 ten. And since 0:24:51.160 --> 0:24:52.600 we're at the start of a new series, I want 0:24:52.640 --> 0:24:54.159 to remind you that if you ever miss one of 0:24:54.160 --> 0:24:56.800 these daily messages on the radio, you can always catch 0:24:56.800 --> 0:25:00.080 up and listen on your own time by downloading our podcast. 0:25:00.400 --> 0:25:03.119 Open up your favorite podcast app on your smartphone or 0:25:03.119 --> 0:25:06.280 mobile device. Search for bold steps with doctor Mark Jobe 0:25:06.280 --> 0:25:08.920 and click the subscribe button. Make sure you don't miss 0:25:08.920 --> 0:25:12.439 a minute of these biblical teachings. And for even more content, 0:25:12.440 --> 0:25:16.439 including videos, exclusive interviews, and special announcements, be sure to 0:25:16.480 --> 0:25:19.240 link up with us on social media. You'll find us 0:25:19.240 --> 0:25:22.760 on most major platforms like Facebook and Instagram. And to 0:25:22.760 --> 0:25:25.560 get connected, just search for Bold Steps Radio and click 0:25:25.600 --> 0:25:29.240 the Like or Follow button on our profile. I'm Wayne Sheppard. 0:25:29.240 --> 0:25:31.280 That's the end of our program for today, but don't 0:25:31.280 --> 0:25:33.240 forget to tune in next week for the second half 0:25:33.240 --> 0:25:35.720 of Mark's message. We're learning what it means to be 0:25:35.720 --> 0:25:38.960 under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Find out for 0:25:38.960 --> 0:25:44.679 yourself Monday on Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Bold steps 0:25:44.680 --> 0:25:47.520 is a production of Moody Radio, a Ministry of Moody 0:25:47.520 --> 0:25:48.639 Bible Institute.