The Exhausted Christian

The Exhausted Christian (Ephesians 5:18)

Ephesians 5:18, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”

A lumberjack, who still used an axe to chop down trees, was able to take down four to five trees a day. But then one day, he found out about performance chain saws. The salesman told the guy, "Well look, with this power saw you can chop down fifty more trees than you can chop now with using your own efforts”. The guy was quickly sold and purchased the power saw. He went and immediately tried the saw out. The next day, he came back to the store and plopped it down on the counter. He said, "Man, this is a piece of junk." "What do you mean, piece of junk?" the salesman replied, "I used this thing. I would normally chop down four to five trees a day. I used this thing, and I didn't even get one finished. This thing is junk." The salesman, looking puzzled, asked to take a look at the chainsaw. The guy handed it to him and the salesman took it and pulled the cord……"VROOOM!" The guy who purchased the saw looked surprised and said, "What's wrong with that thing…..why is it making that loud noise?" He had purchased that chainsaw and taken it to the woods, not understanding what he had. Similarly, most Christians don't understand what they have in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.

When Lehman Strauss spoke concerning the Holy Spirit, He said, “The Holy Spirit is the greatest unused power in the world”. Until a person allows Jesus to reign in them through His Spirit, they'll be exhausted. Rather than trying to live in your own strength, let Christ live His life through you. When D.L. Moody was asked, “Why do you focus so much attention in your sermons on being filled with the Holy Spirit of God?” His reply was, “Because I leak!” Bar and chain oil is something all chainsaws need, whether it’s gas, electric, or battery. Without it, chainsaws are harder to use, can easily overheat, and get damaged. So, what is bar and chain oil? Bar and chain oil is a lubricant used to reduce friction caused by the metal-on-metal contact between a chainsaw’s bar and chain. How do you know you need bar and chain oil? Less effective and it begins to make an awful noise! Failure to use bar and chain oil results in a burned-up gear box. Any bar and chain oil will do but some believers need synthetic oil.

The Bible commands us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is a command for every believer, not just those who are in full time ministry. We need God’s power for every aspect of life. God does not want control of our lives only for a while on Sundays but everyday and in every situation. His plan is for His Spirit to control our steps every day in every area of life. Allowing the Holy Spirit to control your life today prepares you to display His power in whatever you do. Surrender your will to His, and you will find yourself walking in the Spirit. To be filled with the Holy Spirit means to be controlled by the Holy Spirit.

When a Believer is filled with the Holy Spirit of God it will affect their:

1. Witnessing (Acts 1:8)
2. Worship (John 4:23-24)
3. Walk (Galatians 5:16-17)
4. Work (Colossians 3:23)
5. Ways (Proverbs 16:7)

Dr. Curtis Hutson said, “Every Christian is as full of the Holy Spirit as he or she has decided to be.” We are filled with the Spirit as we are emptied of ourselves. It is said that when a group of churches met to consider inviting the evangelist D. L. Moody to come to England for a crusade, a young, prideful pastor protested, "Why do we need this 'Mr. Moody'? He's uneducated, inexperienced, etc. Who does he think he is anyway? Does he have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?" An older, wiser pastor rose and responded, "No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Mr. Moody."

Prayer, My Father, forgive me for trying to live the Christian life in my own strength. No matter how hard I try, I come away feeling exhausted and defeated. Lord, forgive me for thinking I need You to save me, but don’t need You to empower me. I can’t live in my own strength. Will You please live Your life through me? Will You gently show me the ways I rely on my own resources and teach me to live for, and by, and through You? In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

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