“FULL”
1. Last Thursday I invited Teresa to meet me for supper.
2. Towards the end of the day she phoned and said she was too full to accept my invitation.
3. She had eaten a large lunch and wanted a raincheck.
4. At different times people tell us they are “full.”
THE GREEKS HAD A SPECIAL WORD FOR FULNESS.
A. Secular writers applied this word to a full moon.
B. The word I have in mind described a stream which had swollen so much it overflowed.
C. This term was even used to describe pregnancy.
D. A woman carrying a child was considered to be “full.”
2. This word was also used by the writers of the New Testament.
3. One of the places where it occurs is Acts 5:17.
A. By this time in Luke’s account the apostles had performed many miracles.
B. The signs and preaching being done by Christians had angered the Sadducees.
4. The Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection.
5. Neither did they believe in a coming judgment day.
6. The early Christians believe in an taught about both these things.
7. These officials were also angered by the fact that they were losing converts.
8. People were forsaking Judaism and embracing Christianity.
9. After a while the Sadducees were “filled with jealousy.” The KJV says “indignation.”
10. One source uses the word “fury” to describe their state of mind.
11. They were so angry they grabbed the apostles and put them in jail (verse 18).
12. Tonight we want to look at this word which is translated full in Acts 5:17.
A. According to Thayer this term it means “take possession of the mind.”
B. That is, the Sadducees could think about only one thing: Christianity.
C. They were obsessed, in a negative way, with the gospel.
D. There minds were overflowing with hostility.
E. These men were fully committed to destroying everyone and everything associated with Jesus.
F. This desire drove them to the point where it consumed their lives.
13. The hatred which filled these men still exists.
14. At the present time there are persons who are filled with hate
15. An emotion related to hate is anger.
A. Hate and anger may or may not go together.
B. The New Testament associates the word we are looking at with anger.
C. This is done in Lk. 4:28.
16. Jesus went back to
17. The text specifically says He returned to where He had been brought up.
18. Jesus went to His home town and attended a worship service.
A. It was the Sabbath day and He went into the synagogue.
B. He took a public part in the service.
C. He read the information described in Lk. 4:18-19.
D. He then said this – verse 21 – READ.
19. After a brief exchange with those who were present there, was an intense reaction – verse 28 – READ.
A. As a pregnant mother is filled with her baby, so these people were filled with anger.
B. At different times it has been said that the Bible is relevant to modern times.
C. How many of us have seen a person filled with the kind of hate and jealousy described in Acts 5:17?
D. These attitudes are in our world.
E. How many of us have seen or heard about a person being filled to the boiling point with anger?
F. This form of behavior is in the Bible – Lk. 4.
20. When we see or hear about these kinds of actions we should not be surprised.
21. If you turned to Lk. 4, skip over with me to Lk. 6.
A. The word translated filled in Acts 5 is also used here.
B. This next reference builds upon the two verses just read.
C. People can be full of hate. They may be also be full of anger.
D. In some circumstances, people are so full of emotion and rage they lose control.
22. The story in Lk. 6 begins with the 7th verse – READ.
23. The Lord was being watched in hopes that He could be charged with sin.
24. Jesus knew what was going on so He asked a question – verse 9 – READ.
25. The people did not want to answer so Jesus proceeded to heal a man who was sick.
26. The reaction to the healing is stated in verse 11 – READ.
A. The word madness means these people were full of irrationality.
B. Our world contains those who are full of hate and anger.
C. It also has more than a few examples of people who think irrationally?
D. One such group would be terrorists.
E. There are people who become obsessed with blowing up people and things.
F. This is the basic attitude found in Lk. 6.
G. They wanted to destroy Jesus so they “communed” about Him but they were not rational.
27. People can be filled with things which are very negative.
28. For our next reference, if you are turning to them, let’s go to Lk. 5.
A. This chapter tells about another man who was very ill.
B. He wanted to be healed but there were too many people in the way.
C. This fellow had some friends who were willing to help him.
D. They took apart a homeowner’s roof and lowered their friend to where the Lord was.
E. Jesus healed this man and said his sins were forgiven.
29. The people who heard and saw this miracle were in a state of shock.
30. Let’s look at Lk. 5:26 – READ.
A. The word fear, according to Thayer (p. 656) means “fear, dread, terror.”
B. Those who saw this miracle were full of these emotions.
C. They also had some positive feelings, but there was a strong sense of terror.
D. Do we find that in our day and time people are filled with dread and fear?
31. Yes.
32. There is fear about today, tomorrow, and the rest of the month.
33. In certain parts of this country and the world people always feel terror.
34. WE
COULD LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER PLACES WHERE THIS TERM OCCURS.
A. For instance, this same word describes confusion in Acts 19:29.
B. Most of us have met someone who is very, very confused.
C. This word is applied to amazement in Acts 3:10.
D. When people became aware of a miracle they were filled with awe and wonder.
E. In Acts 13:45 this same term is applied to jealousy.
35. This single word shows that our lives are filled with things.
36. The Bible says there are two lists we can pick from when it comes to filling up our lives.
37. A lot of our choices are found in the book of Galatians.
38. In Gal. 5 Paul began by describing works of the flesh.
A. He listed fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife.
B. Other evils include jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, envyings, and drunkenness.
C. He concluded the list of sins with revellings, and such like.
39. There are people who fill up their lives with one or more of these activities.
40. There is also a second list we can choose from.
41. This is described as the fruit of the Spirit.
42. This way of life consists of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness.
43. The second way of life involves meekness and self-control.
44. We are full of God and good or sin and Satan.
45. We are brimming full of good works or acts of selfishness.
46. God has a passionate interest in what we fill our lives with.
47. JESUS SPOKE ABOUT THIS SAME MATTER ONLY HE USED A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ILLUSTRATION.
A. In Mt. 23:25 He addressed the Pharisees.
B. He used dishes to describe people’s spiritual lives.
C. To most of the world the Pharisees appeared to be full of goodness and godliness.
D. Heaven knew the truth. What these men did was nothing but a sham.
E. Listen to how the 25th verse of Mt. 23 reads – READ.
48. People can be “full” of sin.
49. Religious people can be “full” of sin.
50. If we take a hard look at our life, we are full of something.
51. What is it?
A. It is a desire to do right and comply with God’s will?
B. Are we full of God, His word, and works in His service?
C. One of the most humbling verses in the entire Bible, in my judgment, is found in Ps. 42.
D. I am not going to read the entire psalm; the first two verses are enough.
52. What the writer said tells us what he was full of.
53. We can ask ourselves if we are like or unlike him.
54. Here is what he said – Ps. 42:1-2 – READ.
55. The writer was filled with an understanding of God but he wanted more.
56. Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, spoke of “hungering and thirsting for righteousness.”
57. What did He mean?
58. He meant the saved are to pursue God and His will so they will be full of righteousness.
59. In the Philippian letter Paul said Christ had sought him so he sought the Lord.
60. There are so many things to we can fill our lives with, but many of them are not healthy.
61. The primary things to be filled with are a knowledge of God and a desire to do His will.
62. Are these two things true for each one who is present tonight?
63. Are we full of God and good or sin and Satan?