The way of gratitude: under the influence

 

The Way of Gratitude 

Introduction:

Good morning friends. Welcome again to Eastern Shore Baptist Church. Thank you for joining us today for worship. My name is Stuart Davidson and I am the pastor here. Over the last three weeks, we have been involved in a new series entitled “The Way of Gratitude”. It’s a series centered around being thankful, grateful, and just cultivating an overall spirit of praise. 

I’ve said it now every single week. People are grateful when their outcomes are positive. We may not always say it, but we are mainly grateful when our health is good, when our loved ones are near, when we have money in the bank, and when we are surrounded by our stuff and things. 

Our gratitude is challenged when our health fails, when we are lonely, when our finances dry up, or when the eviction notice is tacked to the door. 

The other day I stopped in at the Circle K just down the road from here. I had bought some gas and I walked in the convenience store to get me a drink and a bag of chips. When I went in a noticed a fella who was wandering the aisles. He was singing, whistling, and humming along. He wasn’t crazy, he was just happy. I would even say that he was joyful. As I listened to him, I couldn’t help but notice that he was singing a current praise song. 

His joy sort of rubbed off on me. As I walked by him, I told him, “man, I love what you are singing…keep it up”. He just grinned at me and said, “you bet”. 

I found my drink and got my chips and followed my new happy friend to the counter. He was just before me. The clerk noticed the same thing that noticed. This guy was still singing, still whistling, still humming along to the beat of his own band. The clerk looked at him and said, “I don’t know what church you go to, but I wish every customer walked in with that kind of attitude.” My new friend responded saying, “Its not my church, it’s my Christ. I asked the Lord this morning to let His Spirit lead me so strongly that people would see Him in my life without me saying anything at all.”

I’d say that his prayer worked. 

You know friends, we are all under the influence of something or someone. Scripture, in several places actually, tells us that we are under the influence of two things: the world or the Spirit. This man, my new friend, was clearly under the influence of Christ. 

You know, it got me wondering. Is my life so joyful, so joy filled, that people would see the Spirit of God influencing me so strongly that I wouldn’t even have to speak? 

Another question. Would your life be so filled with praise that people would be able to see the influence of Christ in your life without you having to say a word?

Funny, the other day I had dropped Jett off at school. I was heading back home. I confess, I was not paying great attention. I had not had my second cup of coffee yet. I accidentally pulled out in traffic without checking properly. The car in the lane had to swerve to miss me. I waved and nodded, admitting that it was my fault. The man behind the wheel of the other car laid on the horn. As he passed by I could see the anger on his face. He was cursing me as he passed by. He also told me that I was number 1. 

The paradox of the encounter is that as he passed by, I happened to notice, featured prominently on his back window, a sticker of a large church here in town. 

I wander what influence he was under at that moment. 

Friends, that is the title of my message this morning. “Under the Influence”. 

Think about that this morning. What influence are you under today?

Today’s Message: 

“Under The Influence”

Do me a favor this morning friends. Fill in the blanks under “Today’s Thought”. Christians should walk wisely, speak gratefully, and live humbly. 

When you walk wisely, you stop drifting through life and you start paying attention to the steps you take. When you speak gratefully, your words become instruments of grace instead of weapons that wound. And when you live humbly, you stop trying to impress people and you start honoring Christ in the quiet places of your heart. This is what it means to be under the influence of the Spirit.

Today’s Thought:

Christians Should Walk Wisely, Speak Gratefully, and Live Humbly!

Dallas Willard is one of my favorite authors and his book “The Divine Conspiracy” is one of my favorite books that he has ever written. Listen to this quote about living wisely. 

Today’s Quote:

“Living wisely means living in such a way that your very existence becomes an invitation to others, an open doorway into the Kingdom of God that you quietly display through love, peace, and integrity. True wisdom is not loud or proud, but steady and Spirit-led. It is a life so attuned to Christ that others see in you a glimpse of the life they were made for.”

Dallas Willard’s “The Divine Conspiracy”

Background and context:

When Paul wrote Ephesians 5:15 through 21, he was sitting in a Roman prison, chained but not silenced. He wrote to the believers in Ephesus, a thriving but spiritually dark city known for idol worship, immorality, and constant cultural pressure. These Christians were surrounded by influences that pushed them away from Christ, not toward Him. Paul wanted them to remember who they were, who they belonged to, and how they were called to live.

Ephesians was written as a reminder that following Christ means choosing a different influence. Paul urged the church to walk wisely, to turn away from the world’s pull, and to let the Holy Spirit shape every part of their lives. And that is what brings us to our passage and our theme today, Under the Influence. Paul wanted the Ephesian believers, and us, to understand that the influence we choose determines the direction we walk.

Statement of Faith:

“We are opening the living and powerful Word of God…truth without error, breathed out by Him, and fully sufficient for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. It is our authority, our guide, and our hope. In honor of the God who gave us His perfect Word, I invite you to stand with me as we read it together.”

Ephesians 5:15-21 CSB

Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk-not as unwise people but as wise- [16] making the most of the time, because the days are evil. [17] So don't be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. [18] And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: [19] speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, [20] giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, [21] submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.

Pastor: “This is the Word of the Lord.”

Congregation: “Praise His name praise His holy name.”

How Can We Live “Under The Influence” of The Holy Spirit?

First, Live Carefully vs. 15

Friends, this morning I want to ask you a question. How can we live under the influence of the Holy Spirit? Well, do me a favor and fill in this first blank this morning. First, live carefully. And we see this from verse 15. 

Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk. Not as unwise people, but as wise.

“Living carefully means to walk with spiritual awareness and intentional obedience, making every step count for Christ in a world that walks without direction.”

Paul is calling us to a life that is alert, awake, and attentive. He uses the language of wisdom because wisdom never stumbles into holiness by accident. 

Wisdom walks with purpose. 

Wisdom sees the potholes that the world ignores. 

Wisdom understands that every choice matters because every choice shapes who we are becoming.

Colossians 4:5 ESV says it this way, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.” Paul is telling us that careless living wastes our lives, but careful living invests our lives.

I heard a story a while ago about a man walking through New York City. He was completely dialed in to his cell phone. Head down. Eyes locked in. Mind somewhere else. He was walking, but he was not watching where he was walking. He did not notice the people around him. He did not pay attention to the buildings or the traffic or the sidewalk beneath his feet. He was moving but not looking, walking but not thinking. And right there in front of him was an open manhole. He walked right into it because he was unaware of his surroundings. One moment he was strolling along, the next moment he vanished underground. He was moving, but he was not careful.

That is a vivid picture of spiritual life. Careless Christians fall into holes they never saw coming. Not because the danger was hidden, but because their eyes were not open. Living carefully means remembering that danger is real. The enemy is real. The devil wants to steal, kill, and destroy. But the danger is not only spiritual. It is also internal. Our flesh is heavy. Our pride is stubborn. Our sin is sneaky. Some of the deepest holes we fall into are holes we dug ourselves.

Careless living often disguises itself as careful living, and the disguise is busyness. We convince ourselves that as long as our hands are moving and our schedule is full, we must be doing something right. But activity is not the same thing as obedience, and motion is not the same thing as devotion. Jesus performed miracles, preached to crowds, healed the sick, and trained the disciples, yet He also rested. He stepped away from the noise so He could step deeper into the will of the Father. I can admit that this is something I struggle with myself. I struggle with rest. I struggle with the feeling that productivity equals purpose. But just because I am busy does not mean I am living carefully. There is a time to work and a time to rest, and careful living knows how to recognize the difference. A hurried soul cannot hear the Holy Spirit clearly, and a weary heart cannot walk wisely. Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is slow down so the Spirit can speed up His work in us.

So how do we live carefully?

We live carefully when we guard our minds. Not every thought deserves a place to stay. Some thoughts need to be evicted the moment they show up.

We live carefully when we pay attention to our patterns. If there is a habit that weakens your spirit, you do not negotiate with it, you crucify it. The careless believer says, “It is not a big deal.” The careful believer says, “This could hurt my walk with Christ.”

We live carefully when we choose our influences wisely. If the world entertains you more than the Word shapes you, you are walking with your eyes on your phone and the manhole is coming.

We live carefully when we slow down long enough to hear the Spirit speak. Some people never hear the voice of God simply because they never stop moving long enough to listen.

We live carefully when we keep short accounts with God. Confession should be a daily rhythm, not a yearly emergency.

Church, careless living will always drift toward compromise. Careful living will always lead toward Christ. The question is not whether there are dangers around us. The question is whether our eyes are open.

If we want to live under the influence of the Holy Spirit, we must first live carefully, because a careless Christian will always be an easy target, but a careful Christian walks with power, purpose, and protection.  

How Can We Live “Under The Influence” of The Holy Spirit?

First, Live Carefully vs. 15

Next, Think Clearly vs. 18

So, let’s go back to our opening question this morning, how can we live under the influence of the Holy Spirit first we live carefully and we get this from verse 15 next and you can fill in these blanks we think clearly and we get this from verse 18

Ephesians 5:18 says and do not get drunk with wine which leads to reckless living, but be filled rather by the Holy Spirit.

When you read verse 18, what it really means is what I have for you there in your bulletin. 

Thinking clearly means letting the Holy Spirit, not the world’s influences, guide your thoughts, attitudes, and actions toward what honors God. 

Paul is not just making a statement about alcohol. He is making a statement about influence. He is teaching the church that something will fill your mind every single day. It will either be the world or the Spirit. One leads to reckless living. The other leads to righteous living.

Romans 12:2 NLT says, “Do not copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” 

Clear thinking requires a changed mind. A transformed mind. A renewed mind. A Spirit led mind. You cannot think clearly without the Word shaping you daily.

A beautiful picture of clear thinking shows up in Luke 15, the story of the prodigal son. Many of you know the story. A young man demands his inheritance early. He wants the benefits of the father without any of the boundaries of the father. He takes the money, leaves home, and wastes everything on sinful living. He hits rock bottom. His money is gone. His friends are gone. His dignity is gone. And now he is living among pigs. He is so hungry that he is willing to eat what the pigs are eating.

And then Scripture says something powerful. Luke 15 tells us that “he came to his senses.” In the Greek, the phrase means he returned to his right mind. It carries the idea of suddenly seeing clearly again. It means he woke up, he snapped out of it, he finally recognized the foolishness of his choices and the goodness of his father. Clear thinking returned, and clear thinking led him back home. It was not simply an emotional moment. It was a spiritual awakening of the mind.

Church, that is what the Holy Spirit wants to do in us every single day. To come to our senses means we stop letting the world fog our minds. It means we stop listening to the whispers of sin, the pressure of culture, and the lies of our own flesh. It means we let the Spirit clear the fog, speak truth, and steady our thoughts. Daily clear thinking requires daily truth. If you do not fill your mind with Scripture, the world will gladly fill it for you.

So how do we think clearly each day?

We think clearly when we let God’s Word be the first voice we hear instead of the news, social media, or our own anxious imaginations. A Christian who never opens the Bible should never be surprised when they cannot hear God.

We think clearly when we evaluate our thoughts through Scripture. Not every thought deserves our agreement. Some thoughts are lies from the enemy. Some are temptations from our flesh. Some are fears that need to be surrendered.

We think clearly when we guard our influences. If you consume worldly thinking all day long, do not be shocked when your spiritual clarity disappears. The mind will always reflect what it is fed.

We think clearly when we slow down. A hurried mind is a foggy mind. A peaceful mind is a Spirit influenced mind.

And we think clearly when we keep returning to the Father. The prodigal walked out of the fog when he walked toward home. So do we.

If we want to live under the influence of the Holy Spirit, we must allow the Spirit to shape our thinking. Because the battle for your life is often won or lost in your mind. The Spirit makes the fog lift. The Spirit clears the confusion. The Spirit brings you to your senses and leads you back to wisdom, holiness, and truth.

Just like the prodigal, clear thinking leads us home.

How Can We Live “Under The Influence” of The Holy Spirit?

First, Live Carefully vs. 15

Next, Think Clearly vs. 18

Lastly, Worship Continually vs. 19-20

So, let’s ask that question one last time, how can we live under the influence of the Holy Spirit?

We live carefully.

We think clearly.

And lastly, we worship continually.

We see this point demonstrated in verse 19 and 20.

Ephesians 5:19 through 20 CSB

“Speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

What Paul is saying is that worshiping continually means letting gratitude, praise, and joyful surrender overflow from your heart in every circumstance of life. It is not an occasional moment. It is not an emotional burst. It is not a Sunday morning hobby. It is a surrendered rhythm of life.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 CSB says, “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

That is continual worship. That is the heart of someone who is under the influence of the Spirit. When the Spirit fills you, worship is not an event you attend. It is the fragrance of your life.

Church, I got to thinking what does a Christian look like when he is truly surrendered to God and truly under the influence of the Holy Spirit? 

He worships continually. He does not wait for a song to worship. He does not need a stage or a choir. Continual worship is every day, every moment. It is a surrendered walk. It is Micah 6:8 lived out, it’s loving mercy, it’s seeking justice, and it’s walking humbly with your God. 

It is choosing gratitude over grumbling, praise over panic, surrender over stubbornness, joy over jealousy, faith over fear. A Spirit influenced believer carries worship in his heart the way lungs carry air. It becomes natural. It becomes essential. It becomes the rhythm and the reflex of his life.

But the person under the influence of the world also worships. Only he does not worship God. He worships himself. He worships his accomplishments. He worships his comfort. He worships his wealth. He becomes his own god. He crowns himself as sovereign. He takes pride in his achievements and sees himself as worthy of glory. He lives at the center of his own universe. 

The world influenced person is selfish, narcissistic, dishonest, and manipulative. Always shaping every situation to benefit himself. He has false humility. He is self seeking. He is hungry for honor and desperate for recognition. He wants applause without obedience and influence without integrity. But here is the truth. People who live under the influence of the world will always be exposed. Their motives will always be brought to light. What is done in the shadows will eventually be revealed in the sun.

Church, this is why Paul gives us such a clear call in Ephesians 5. He tells us to wake up, to rise from spiritual sleep, and to let Christ shine on us. He reminds us that the days are evil, the time is short, and the influence we choose will shape the direction of our lives. So he teaches us how to live under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

He tells us to live carefully, to walk with spiritual awareness, to pay attention to every step we take, and to use our time with wisdom and purpose.

He tells us to think clearly, to let the Holy Spirit guide our thoughts and attitudes, to refuse the patterns of the world, and to renew our minds daily through the Word of God.

Lastly to worship continually, to let gratitude, praise, and joyful surrender overflow from our hearts in every circumstance, and to live each day in humble obedience before the Lord.

So now the question becomes personal.

Are you living under the influence?

Closing Prayer:

Our Heavenly Father, we ask today that You would draw us under the influence of Your holiness. Lead us to live carefully, think clearly, and worship continually. Shape us into men and women who reflect the character of Christ in everything we do.

Lord, I pray for the person who has never trusted Jesus as Savior. Help them see that today can be the day of salvation, the day they come home to You just like the prodigal son. Give them courage to step out in faith and say yes to Jesus. For the one who needs a church home, a family of believers to walk beside them, speak to their heart and let them know they are welcome here. For the one who needs to follow You in baptism, give them boldness to take that step of obedience and declare publicly what You have done privately.

Father, I lift up every believer in this room who is carrying a burden, battling a temptation, or wrestling with a decision. Remind them they can pray right where they are. They can pray at this altar. They can seek Your face anywhere. Let this be a moment where the Holy Spirit speaks, convicts, guides, comforts, and renews. Draw us close. Move among us. Help us surrender everything so that we may live fully under Your influence.

And all God’s people said, Amen.