Shabbat shalom everyone. Please turn in your Bibles to Ephesians today. We are studying in the book of Ephesians and we are finding ourselves in Ephesians chapter 5. And the passage that we are going to read is from verse 18 to verse 21. And so please follow with me in your Bibles, Ephesians chapter 5, beginning from verse 18. Paul, of course, is writing to the brothers and sisters at the city of Ephesus, and he says: "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting yourself one to another in the fear of God." This is the end of the reading for this portion of the study today, brothers and sisters.

And please allow me to go a little bit back to the previous verses, so we can have the connection in order that we will understand what we are studying here in this ministry today. Now I would like to remind you, and I am doing so every time, that Shaul Paul wrote to the brothers and sisters in the local assembly in the city of Ephesus, and he was dealing with one of the most glorious truths that we have in the Bible, the truth of election. In the first few verses of the book of Ephesus, he says: "You have been chosen in Christ, in the Messiah, before the foundation of the world," Ephesians chapter 1.

Then he continued on, and he said to the brothers and sisters of the Ephesians that they were far, they were dead in trespasses and sins, and now they have been brought nearer because of the work of the Messiah, the work of Christ. The wall of partition between our nation Israel and the Gentile world of the believing world now had been broken down, and now God unites together both Jewish and Gentile individuals in Christ, in the Messiah, and we're part of the very same body. That's the positional teaching that he had in the previous chapters 1, 2, and 3. We are studying, of course, the second half of the letter to the Ephesians, from chapter 4, 5, and 6.

Now he's very, very practical. And in those chapter 4, many times, and 5, and 6, we find that Pastor Paul using the word "walk." And what he's really saying, that now, because we are chosen in the Messiah, because we belong to him, now as believers we are to walk a godly walk here in this world. And so he began, if you remember, in chapter 4, when he said, "Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye were called." In chapter 5, if you remember, he again said, "Walk in love," in verse 2, "Walk in light," in verse 8, and "Walk carefully," in verse 15. In other words, the believer in Yeshua, the Messiah, is to live down here in this world, seeking to walk in a proper way.

So, from verse 18 to verse 33, he shows us how it is important for us to be guided or controlled by the Holy Spirit, by Ruach HaKodesh. Do you know, brothers and sisters, there's nothing we can do here for the Lord, unless the Spirit of God guide us and control us. Without the Holy Spirit of God working in our hearts and controlling us, we are not able to walk in a right way. We always seem to desire to walk in the flesh, to have our own way, to have our own thoughts, to have our own desires. And that's why, notice verse 18, is a very important verse, as we move along now to this section.

The need to be filled with the Ruach HaKodesh, with the Holy Spirit. He says in verse 18, "Be not drunk with wine," notice this, "but," wherein there is access, "but be ye filled with the Spirit." Let me kind of change the wording a little bit of this passage. Don't be intoxicated with wine, which will ultimately control you. But be intoxicated, you might say, or controlled by the Holy Spirit of God. Very important. Now, why does he make this comparison between wine and the Spirit of God? It is interesting, because when one is being under the control of alcohol, or wine, you might say, "but ultimately that person is no longer think logically and act logically and straightforward." When we are controlled by alcoholic beverage, I'm not saying that one cannot drink a glass of wine.

When I'm saying to not allow one to be controlled, being guided and governed by alcohol, by wine, it says be not drunk with wine wherein there is access. Don't allow yourself to be drunk with wine or controlled by wine, because it only leads you to not act in the right way. On the other hand, be controlled by the Ruach HaKodesh, by the Spirit of God, because when the Spirit of God controls the people of God, Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit of God is enabling us to please the Lord in this world. Do you know, I want to say that the first time that man was under responsibility, which we have the age of the responsibility when the ark have landed on Mount Ararat, and Noah came out with his family to begin the new world.

And this is what he called the dispensation of responsibility or government. The first man that would find himself drunk and found himself not being controlling himself was Noah. The man that was just the previous days before we read about him. Noah was a just man. He walked with God. But once he allowed himself to be controlled by wine, we find himself being naked before his family. And his two sons, you remember, had to take this blanket and not to look back in order to cover him. He exposed himself and he was in such a condition that was so sad. The very same man, just before the flood came down, was called in Hebrew, Tzaddik.

He was a righteous man. He was a man that lived for God. And yet you find him under the control of wine. You read it in Genesis chapter 9. And what a desperate situation it was. So here we see a godly man, controlled by wine. Look, such a condition we find in this particular person, because of the time that he was not controlled by the Spirit of God, but was controlled by wine. And so the apostle Paul is saying to the brothers and sisters, in the city of Ephesus, in verse 18, it says, "Be not drunk with wine." Don't be drunk with wine wherein there is excess.

Don't allow wine to control you, but be controlled by Ruach HaKodesh, by the Holy Spirit of God. A verse from Leviticus chapter 10. In verse 8, 9 and 10. Leviticus 10. The law was given to our people Israel. God spoke to Aaron. And look what he says. Verse 8. The Lord spoke unto Aaron. And he said to Aaron, "Do not drink wine, nor strong drink thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die. It shall be a status forever throughout your generation, and that ye may put a difference between the holy and the unholy, and between the unclean and the clean." There was a warning that was given to Aaron.

You're going to do the service of the Lord in the tabernacle? Well, if you're going to do the service of the Lord, don't be under the control of wine. Don't even drink it because you're not going to be able to discern between what is clean and what is unclean. And that is a warning that had been given to the Ephesians as well. Now, again, I want to emphasize, the problem is not with wine. The problem is the one allowing wine to take control over him. And therefore, it's far better not to allow this to control us in our lives as believers. There's another verse that I want to read in the book of Proverbs.

There are many verses that we can find in the book of Proverbs, but just a verse or two, Proverbs chapter 20 and verse 1. "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." Chapter 23 of Proverbs, in verse 29, where it says, "Who hath a woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contention? Who hath bubbling? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of the eyes? They that tarry long at the wine, that they go to seek a mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red." There's always a warning, it seems to be in scripture, concerning abusive way in which one is allowing himself to be controlled under wine.

You notice the word, "Woe and sorrow." That's the two Hebrew words, "Oi va'avoi." We often time in Israel, when something happens, we say, "Oh boy, oi va'avoi." That's two Hebrew words, "Woe and sorrow." In Israel, when some trouble happens, we say, "Oi va'avoi." That's those two Hebrew words in verse 29 of Proverbs chapter 23. So let's leave that for a moment and let's look at the other side of this verse. It says, "But be filled with the Holy Spirit of God." Now what does that mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God? You see, the Spirit of God is a person. He is God, the Holy Spirit.

When we have accepted Yeshua, we have been indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God. And He is now residing in every believer, never to leave us anymore. But as we go on in our walk with the Lord, and we live here in this world with many challenges, and many difficulties that we have here in this world, well, the believer is exhorted now to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God. In other words, to allow the Spirit of God to control the believer. What's going to happen when the believer is controlled by the Spirit of God? There will be a change in their lives. There will be an attitude that will be pleasing to the Lord because the Spirit controls us.

The Spirit guides us. And many times we find in Scripture, specifically in the book of Acts, When Peter was filled with the Spirit, he preached boldness, the message of the Lord. When Paul was filled with the Spirit, Acts chapter 13 and verse 9, he preached the word in boldness. When Stephen was filled with the Spirit, in Acts chapter 7, he preached the word in boldness. The Spirit of God filling the believer, lead us to the person of the Messiah and enable us to preach the word boldly, but also to change the manner of our behavior as we walk here in this world. And that's why he said, do not be drunk with wine, but be controlled or be filled by the Holy Spirit of God.

And that will help us. Brothers and sisters, you show me a believer that he is filled by the Spirit of God. And I'm going to show you a person that is occupied with Jesus. You show me a brother or sister that are really, truly, not only saved, but filled with the Holy Spirit of God. I'm going to show you a person that presents before us something of the Messiah, something of Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. Yeshua said in John 16, 14, that the Spirit of God will not speak of himself. He will take of mine and he will show this unto you. So being filled with the Spirit of God is simply learning from the features of the life in which Yeshua lived here in this world.

We learn from him and we become a little bit more every time somewhat like him. So in the next verses, that's why the next verses are very important. Verses 19 to 30, we find three results of the ones that truly are being filled with the Spirit of God. And here are the three results. The first one is found in verse 19. The first result of a person that is really filled with the Holy Spirit of God. This person have a joyful heart. He or she are not a miserable people that constantly are arguing and fighting and so on. A person that is really filled with the Spirit of God will have joy in his or her heart.

Look at this. It says in verse 19, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Here is a person that has been filled with the Holy Spirit of God. Here is a person that has been really filled by the Holy Spirit of God. In filling, constantly, constantly filling himself by the person of the Holy Spirit of God. There is a change in their life. There is joy in their hearts. And notice what it says. Speaking to yourselves in psalms, in hymns, in spiritual songs. Singing and making melody in your heart unto the Lord. A believer that is filled by the Holy Spirit of God is a person that has joy.

The joy of the Lord, Nehemiah said to our forefathers Israel many years ago in chapter 8. It says the joy of the Lord is your strength. There is joy coming to our hearts. Yes, there are problems. There are difficulties. There are many oppositions here in this world. But there is joy in the heart of the believer if he or she are being filled by the Spirit of God. They will sing to the Lord. Even in trial. You remember Paul and Silas in Acts chapter 16? They were in jail. They were in barns. And at midnight. The darkest time of the day. Guess who is singing? Paul and Silas.

They are singing praises unto the Lord. Everybody heals them. Heals the people that are redeemed and saved. And not only redeemed and saved. But they are filled by the Spirit of God. Which made it possible for them to sing in the midst of trials. You know, when we cannot sing and praise the Lord, something is wrong. That means that we are occupied with our problems instead of the person of Yeshua, the Messiah. And we do so at times, don't we? We know that in our own selves, in our lives at times, we are so engaged with the problems that we have, that we don't think of the Lord and His love and what He has done for us.

So we can't sing. The Spirit is quenched. The Spirit is grieved. And we can't sing. And what about when we behave in a wrong way? We don't walk in love. We don't walk in light. We don't walk in wisdom carefully. And therefore, the Holy Spirit of God is grieved because of this. And because He is grieved, we cannot be filled with Him, occupying with Yeshua. And therefore, we can't sing. With no joy. Joylessness. That's what happens even with a believer that is not having the Spirit of God filling him on an ongoing basis. And you notice, it doesn't say that the Spirit of God will do so on our behalf.

No. But it says, you yourself be filled with the Spirit. How? Well, walk in love. Walk in light. Walk carefully. Then you will learn from Yeshua. And it will fill your heart with joy. Because the Spirit of God can now have His own way in your life. And therefore, now you can sing. And the word for psalms comes from the Hebrew word, "Mizmor" or "Mizmorim". How many times we'll find the Jewish people, our own nation, Israel, even in a time of trial. They are singing to the Lord because they were right with the Lord. But when they were wrong with the Lord, they couldn't sing.

You know, the first time we find song in the Bible is mentioned in Exodus chapter 15 in verse 1. "Then sang Israel this song unto the Lord." The first time in the Bible. Why they could sing? They could only sing after they were redeemed out of Egypt. After God opened the Red Sea and delivered them out of their enemies. And they were now in a state of rest. And they were in a state in which they could sing to the Lord. And that is the first time in the Bible that we find the word singing in the scripture. Exodus chapter 15. "Then sang Israel this song unto the Lord." This is so beautiful, brothers and sisters.

So psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your heart unto the Lord. It is so beautiful when our hearts are so filled with singing about Yeshua. Our Lord Yeshua the Messiah who loved us and gave himself for us. It is an evident that you have allowed the Spirit of God to fill you. In other words, you have sought the Spirit of God's guidance in your life, in our life. That is an evident that we can see in the singing songs unto the Lord. There are many other verses that I can make a reference. One of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians chapter 5 is joy.

Galatians 5 and verse 22, it says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy." Well, if we have no joy, that means that the Spirit of God and the fruit of the Spirit of God is not in the life of the believer. And that is so important for us to be filled with the Spirit because it will produce joy in our life. And the consequence of joy is singing spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart unto the Lord. So, the first thing, brothers and sisters, that is the result of the control of the Spirit in our life is joy. When we are not rejoicing in the Lord and have joy in our heart, we have to question ourselves and say, "Lord, I've deviated.

I'm not focusing on the right thing. I'm not focusing on you." "I'm focusing on myself and my problems and my desires rather than to focus on the Lord." And yes, brothers and sisters, problems will not stop to come our way, but the problems are not to control us. The Lord Jesus, the Messiah, is the one that should lead us and control us in our life. By the way, do you know that Yeshua was singing? Psalm 22 and verse 22. He was singing. He is the chief musician in the congregation of Israel. He is the one who will lead the believers in the singing. It's not any one of us who is standing here in the front.

That is the voice of Yeshua, the Messiah, who is the chief singer. The one who is leading the brothers and sisters in singing. We have a quotation of it in Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 12. Okay, so the first thing we learn as a result of being controlled by the Holy Spirit of God is a joyful heart. Here is the second thing. This time in verse 20, the Apostle Paul is saying, you know, if you are really being controlled by the Holy Spirit of God, it will produce a thankful attitude. You know, it is terrible when a child of God is not thankful. And that's why he says in verse 20, giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus, Yeshua, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, Jesus, the Messiah.

Giving thanks is another result of being filled with the Holy Spirit of God. When one is unthankful, it's a terrible thing. And that's why he's saying giving thanks always for all things. Now, how can you give thanks to God when you have problems in your life, right? You might say, and I might say. But the Bible teaches us, Romans 8 and verse 28. You remember what Paul said to the Romans? For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. So when he says in verse 20, giving thanks always and giving thanks always for all things, he means even sometimes for the things that are not so easy.

Because all things work together for good. You know, sometimes there are trials in the life of the people of God. And how can we even enter into some of the trials that some of our brothers and sisters are going through? Some people lost loved ones and they are now all alone. Some people lost family members or sick and in the hospital and on and on and on. But you see, a believer that is filled with the Spirit of God will also give thanks even for things that are not necessarily good. And so good for us at the moment. But we know that all things ultimately work for our good because God has a plan for us.

So giving thanks all the time for all things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. This is interesting that thought of giving thanks. If you just turn in your page to the book of Colossians. Look how many times Paul encouraged the Colossians to give thanks. Colossians chapter 1 and verse 3. We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah praying always for you. Not as Colossians 1 verse 12. Giving thanks unto the Father which have made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance. We give thanks to the Father because He made us suitable. He made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance.

What He had given for us through Yeshua the Messiah. Colossians 1 verse 12. Colossians 2 and verse 7. He says being rooted and built up in Him. And established in the faith as ye have been taught abounding therein. And then He says with thanksgiving. Don't forget to give thanks. Colossians chapter 2 and verse 7. Turn the page to Colossians 3 and look at this. Colossians 3 and verse 17. There he says. And whatsoever ye do in word or in deed. Do all in the name of the Lord Yeshua. Giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. And finally in Colossians 4 and verse 2. He says continue in prayer. And watch in the same with thanksgiving.

You know the Bible is filled with verses that encourage the believers to be thankful. There is so much to be thankful for beloved brothers and sisters. And it is a terrible thing when one receives a gift from God. He receives something and not to have the courtesy to say God I thank you for what you have given to me. And when a believer is ungrateful and unthankful. It really shows that he or she are simply not filled by the Holy Spirit of God. Or they may be saved. Because they have accepted Yeshua. And by the way the book of Ephesians were not written to unbelievers.

It was written to the local assembly in the city of Ephesus. Just the same like the book of Corinthians was written to the saints. And yet there were terrible conditions at the church at Corinth. But the saints can behave in an ungrateful way. And therefore he is telling them. You are really being filled with the Holy Spirit of God. You ought to have a joy in your heart. And if you are really being filled with the Holy Spirit of God. You ought to have an attitude of thankfulness in your life to the Lord. Psalm 106. Psalm 107. Psalm 118. Psalm 136 verses 1. All of them verse 1. The psalmist starts by saying.

I will give thanks unto the Lord. For he is good. He is good. He is good. And therefore we can give thanks. The psalmist of Israel understood the goodness of God. When they were in the right condition. And they gave thanks unto the Lord. And the believers today ought to understand the same thing. And be thankful. And when we are not brothers and sisters. The best thing to do is to go on our face before the Lord and say. Lord I apologize that I have an unthankful heart. Help me to have a thankful heart. Because then I know that I am in a right spiritual state.

Because I ought to be thankful. And there is so much to be thankful. Brothers and sisters. Think about that for a moment. And I am going to move on. All your sins. That you have committed. That I have committed. Past. Present. Future. Every sin that we have committed. Yeshua paid for it. And he died on a tree for that. He shed his blood for that. And he forgave us. He says. I know your need. And I lay down my life. Because I love you. I paid a price. For you. On your behalf. For me. And the very thing that we need to do. Is to say.

Lord. We are so thankful. For what. You have done for me. So. Giving thanks always. For all things. Unto God the Father. In the name of the Lord Jesus the Messiah. Notice. By the way. The triunity here. Be filled with the Spirit. Verse 18. Give thanks unto the Father. Verse 20. In the name of the Son. The Son. Verse 20b. The whole three persons of the Godhead. Are involved in the life of the believer. The whole triune God. Is involved in the way in which the believer. Is to live. So. Be joyful. Be thankful. And finally. The last portion that I want to say now. Is verses 21 to verse 33.

And I'm not going to mention all of them today. But I want to say this. Verses 21 to the end. The word submission. Is mentioned here. And this is something we all have a problem with. Beloved brothers and sisters. The necessity for submission. You know. We often say. I'm the captain of my ship. I'm the pilot of my plane. I'll do my own thing. I'll have my own way. Nobody going to tell me what to do. I am the one. That is doing everything in my own way. And the Lord teaching us the importance of submission. Do you want to show me a believer that is filled with the Spirit of God?

For he or she will have an attitude of submission. It says here in verse 21. Look what it says. Submitting yourselves. One to another in the fear of God. Now that is very interesting. Submission. You mean I'm going to submit myself to someone else. With an authority over me. I'm going to be submissive. No, I'm not. Sometimes we say that. Because when we act in the flesh. We do not want to submit to anyone. Nobody going to tell me what to do. And here notice what he is really saying. You submit yourselves. One to another in the fear. In a reverence of God. God has an authority over our lives.

And therefore when we see submission. It's a moral feature of the Lord Jesus. The Messiah. He himself subject himself here when he was here upon the face of this earth. That means that we are to submit to our boss. We are to submit to our authority. We are to submit to our parents. We are to submit to our elders. We are to submit to those that are placed in authority over us. Including in the relationship that we have with each other. Submissiveness is something so beautiful. Because it shows us the way in which Yeshua the Messiah lived here in this world. Being submissive. Being submissive.

It is essential in the life of the believer. Submitting. Notice that verse 21. Submit one to another. You know we as believers. Even though some of us are older. Some of us are younger. But we have to have the attitude. Of caring for the other person. So in submissiveness. I am really saying that I really care. Not only for myself. But for the other. For the brothers. And for the sisters. In the local assembly. Just a couple of verses here. Turn to 1st Peter chapter 5. For a moment. Peter again. He wrote to the early believers. To the Jewish believers. He was telling them. He says. Likewise ye younger.

Submit yourself unto the elder. Ye all of you. Be subject one to another. And be close with humility. For God resists the proud. And he gives grace unto the humble. You see what he is really saying. One of the evidence. That we are submissive. Is humility. And humility. Is that which show. Revealed to us. That we are willing to care. For the brothers and sisters. And rather than just. Caring for oneself. So submissiveness. It's such an important thing. Paul is mentioning. In our chapter. In Ephesians. Peter is saying. Younger. Submit to the elders. And all of you. Be subject one to another. And be close with humility.

That shows us. That we are to care. For our brothers. And our sisters. And to be close with humility. By submitting to each other. We are really. Assisting. Each other. And building. Each other up. Because. Pride. Build ourself. Humility. Build someone else. And that's why. It is important. To have this attitude. In our life. One more verse. In Philippians. Chapter 2. Verses 2 and 3. Fulfill ye my joy. That ye be like minded. That's how you get really. Submissiveness to one another. Will become like minded. Having the same love. Being of one accord. And of one mind. Let nothing be done. Through strife. Or vain glory. But in lowliness of mind.

Let each esteem other. Better than themselves. Now isn't it nice. When a local church. A local assembly. The brothers and sisters. Of course submit to the elders. But also submit to each other. As it says. In those verses. In 1st Peter 5. And in Ephesians chapter 5. Caring for each other. Because what's happening. Is when we have such an attitude. Brothers and sisters. One towards another. Then there is nothing being done. With strife. And with vain glory. If things are being done. With strife. Usually you'll find. The people scattered. Not together. Not united. But scattered. And dispersed. But when there is an attitude. Of lowliness. Not looking for vain glory.

Then we esteem each other. Higher than oneself. Then what happened. What we do here. We are building others. And therefore. The local church. The local assembly. Can grow. And submissiveness. Is an evidence. Of the fruit. Of the spirit of God. In our lives. All this is possible. Brothers and sisters. If we are. Being filled. With the Holy Spirit of God. He is the one. That take the person. Of the Lord Jesus. The Messiah. The Messiah. Reveal him. Unto us. And we learn. From him. This way. We can walk. In a way. That is pleasing. To the Lord. In this world. So. Next week. We are going to talk about.

The husbands. And the wives. The children. And the parents. The fathers. And the sons. And ultimately. The servants. And their masters. And may the Lord. Bless his word. This way. We can walk. In a way. That is pleasing. To the Lord. In this world.