"Be Filled With the Spirit"

Any Baptists out there get a bit afraid when someone begins to talk about the Holy Spirit?  It's okay.  Go ahead and raise your hand.  My hand is raised too.  I think so many people have abused the Holy Spirit waving it as their banner for Christianity, using it as a tool to dissuade or persuade, or by using the evidences of the Holy Spirit as a sort of mark of superior Christianity.  And, as good Baptists, we have kept our distance from those types of practices and bad theology.  And, being a "good Baptist" myself, I think our trepidation and distance from those issues has been a good thing.  However, somewhere in the midst of all the conversation about the Holy Spirit and our tendency to shy away from those conversations, I think we have forgotten all of who God is.  That's the point Francis Chan makes in his book, "The Forgotten God; Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit."
Somewhere in our fear of getting out of the box, we forgot about the Holy Spirit.  It's as if we have ignored and left out a huge part of who God is.  We started a new series called "Abide" in one of our adult Sunday School classes this past week.  This study places an emphasis on staying in rhythm with God.  The passage we looked at on Sunday came from Ephesians 5:18 which says, "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.  Instead, be filled with Spirit."
Easy enough right?  I don't drink wine, but this being full of the spirit?  Isn't that for charismatics? Furthermore, I thought when I asked Christ to be the Lord of my life, I was filled with the Spirit.  I thought it was a total package, unless I missed the installment plan.  No, no...Paul made it clear we were "sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 1:13).  Alright, so the Spirit is given to us at conversion and is the agent of conversion.  What then is Paul telling us to do when he says be filled with the Spirit?  Certainly we don't have control of the Spirit, do we?
Have you ever seen one of those documentaries about someone who is able to use their brain in a way beyond the average human being?  I saw one the other night about a man who had a form of autism.  Musically, he was brilliant.  He could play any song, in any key, to any tune.  A room full of PhD's couldn't even stump him.  The documentary pointed to how much of his brain he was actually using and how we could unlock the full potential of the brain.  I think this analogy works for us.  Have you ever known someone that you just knew they were in touch with God?  Their prayer, their actions, their love, their grace, their discernment all led you to believe they were just so close to God.  It just seemed they were tapping much further into their faith.
I wonder if that is us?  We are given the Spirit at conversion, and here, Paul tells us to be filled with the Spirit.  Maybe he is telling us to tap into the full power we have as Christians.  Maybe he is telling us to use and unlock all we are given from God.  "The Spirit is not an optional add-on, a second work of grace, or a privilege of the elite.  Rather, he is the agent of God's work in the world and is both the source and proof of conversion.  To be in Christ and to be in the Spirit are virtually the same.  In fact, the Spirit is the presence of Christ within the believer.  To ask us to be filled with the Spirit does not point to repeated charismatic experiences, as some claim.  It is to ask us to focus our attention on Christ and his presence in us, to open ourselves to the continual transforming work of the Spirit so that the presence of Christ empowers and shapes our lives." (NIV Application Commentary on Ephesians)
If we were to abide in Christ, to make him a part of the rhythm of our life, maybe we would tap into the Spirit that is already at work within us.  How do we do it?  Paul tells us in 5:19-21.  "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.  Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
The more I fill up on the Spirit by reading, singing, praying, serving, giving thanks, etc...the more I am aware how very close and present God is.  The challenge is to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  For you and me, I think that means we make him apart of our daily rhythm.  Without those things, I think we miss a few beats.  What about your family?  Does your family have a Spiritual rhythm?  How different might your home be if you made these things Paul talked about a regular part of the life and rhythm of your family.  The more I practice spiritual disciplines, the more aware I become of how God is acting in the world.  When I neglect those things, I am neglecting a vital part of who I am.  The Holy Spirit is meant to empower and guide us, to transform us and bring us into the presence of Christ.  So if you or your family feels like you're running low on Spiritual fuel, it's time to fill up.  Sing together, pray together, read the Bible together, give thanks together, fill your home with the Spirit.  What better legacy to pass on to your children than one of fullness...."to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19).  What a blessing to know and be filled with the fullness of God.  What a peace and joy that brings to life!