Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Be Ripped

Our text for today is from Ephesians 5:18 *(NIV)
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
I was sharing this verse tonight at our men’s Wednesday night bible study. We’ve been studying the book of Ephesians for about five months now. No one’s in a hurry. There’s so much “strong meat1 (solid doctrine) it takes time to chew on all of it for a while.
The context of verse 18 is getting drunk.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
Everyday folks in pubs around the world lift their drafts up singing beer drinking songs! God wants us to do the same thing in the church today. What’s happened to the boisterous Christians of the Second Chapter of Acts? On the Day of Pentecost there were 120 believers filled with the Holy Ghost; talking in tongues; walking around “witnessing in Jerusalem, to those from Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the earth’ (see Acts 1:8) They were speaking in the native dialects of Jewish Pentecostal pilgrims from all over the world.
Acts 2:12 Amazed and perplexed, [the pilgrims] asked one another, “What does this mean?” 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
The 120 disciples were thought to have been drunk! When was the last time your church service was thought to be a booze party! God wants us to be absolutely blasted in the Holy Ghost!
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
1 Strong meat Heb 5:11

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