The Way - Under the Influence // Chris Holm

We continued our series "The Way" by exploring Ephesians 5:15-21, where Paul calls us to be filled with the Spirit rather than drunk with wine. Paul wrote to Christians in Ephesus, a city saturated with pagan religion, excess, and Roman imperial propaganda. In that hostile cultural environment, he urged believers to be intentional about how they lived.When Paul contrasts drunkenness with being Spirit-filled, he's addressing more than alcohol moderation. In the ancient world, people worshiped gods like Bacchus through intoxication, seeking transcendence by losing control. Paul is saying: don't let wine (or anything else) be what fills and controls you.We're all designed to be filled with something greater than ourselves. This God-shaped hunger was meant to drive us back to our Creator. But when humanity fell, that desire got redirected toward created things: money, success, relationships, consumerism, social media, political movements. Whatever fills that void will eventually enslave us. As N.T. Wright says, "You become like what you worship."Being filled with the Spirit isn't like refilling an empty cup. The Greek suggests immersion, like baptism. We're plunged into an infinite ocean, surrounded and saturated from the inside out and outside in.Paul gives us four practices of Spirit-filled living: encourage one another with psalms and hymns, worship through singing, practice thanksgiving in all circumstances, and submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. These practices keep us immersed in the Spirit rather than controlled by culture. Worship is the greatest catalyst for growing in God's presence, realigning our hearts with truth and transforming our relationships, families, and communities.URF WEBSITE: ➤ http://www.urfellowship.comSOCIALS: ➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urfellowship/➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urfellowship